Finding the perfect one by Christmas
by BrittLovesSan
Summary: Santana's gran is sick and she doesn't think she's going to get any better. It's her only wish to see Santana get married before she dies. However there's one problem, Santana is still single and now she has to rush to find the perfect one by Christmas so she has enough time to be with the person and get to know them before they marry to be able to keep her gran's only wish.
1. It's a marathon, not a sprint

Chapter 1: It's a marathon, not a sprint

Santana has just arrived at the hospital to visit her gran. Her gran has just come through an operation but is still recovering in hospital. She had to undergo an angioplasty since developing atherosclerosis as a result of smoking for many years. The procedure was carried out on her leg to widen the narrowed arteries supplying blood to her legs.

"Hey, how are you?" Santana asks while going over and hugging her gran.

"I'm not getting any better Santana" Alma sighs.

"What are you talking about, the nurses seem to think you're doing great" Santana frowns.

"Oh what do they know" Alma sighs while shaking her head.

"Considering they work in the medical industry then I hope they know a great deal" Santana states.

"They can't wait to get you out of here and it doesn't matter how. Whether it's healthy or in a bag, they're just happy to get rid of you" Alma states.

"I think you're being a little pessimistic, that can't be true" Santana sighs.

"I'm not joking Santana, it's true" Alma says seriously.

"What exactly have they said that makes you say that?" Santana asks.

"It's not exactly what they say, it's how they say it" Alma replies. "Plus they're not shy in telling me I need to quit smoking."

"I'm not surprised, you're in here because of smoking. I mean I'm not about to sugar-coat this either because it's serious" Santana shakes her head.

"The only pleasure I get in life now is smoking" Alma sighs.

"That's not true" Santana says while taking a seat next to her. "Look I know you felt it comforted you when grandpa died but it really is doing more harm than good."

"Can we not talk about me right now, let's talk about you" Alma smiles.

"But…"

"No Santana, we're changing the subject so what's going on with you?"

"Not much. Still working at a job I absolutely detest" Santana sighs. She hoped once she graduated from university then everything would fall into place but it really hasn't. She graduated a year ago and still can't get a job in the field she wants.

"At least it's money Santana" Alma reasons. "I don't want you giving up just because you don't like it. Once you find the right job then you can quit but you're not going to leave without another job to go to."

"I know" Santana nods, slightly annoyed. She's getting fed up with everyone getting on at her about jobs but she can't force someone to hire her if they don't want to.

"So apart from work, how is everything else?" Alma asks.

"My life is fine" Santana shrugs.

"Any nice boys in your life yet?"

"No, not yet" Santana rolls her eyes. "I'm not looking for anyone right now."

"Santana I'm not getting any younger and I'm clearly not in the best of health at the moment but I want to see my only granddaughter get married so there better be someone on the horizon" Alma states.

"I'm only 23 though" Santana states.

"Almost 24 actually and age doesn't matter, you're my only granddaughter so I want to see you happy" Alma tells her.

"But…"

"No buts Santana, please tell me you're looking to settle down soon" Alma says annoyed.

"Well…"

"Santana, please tell me there will be someone soon."

"Uh…"

"Stop hesitating, I want a straight answer" Alma scolds.

"Ok fine, I didn't want to say anything because it was so early but yes there is someone" Santana lies. She can see how desperately Alma wants this so she figures the best thing to do is to lie right now.

"Oh thank goodness" Alma says while clutching her chest in relief. "You nearly gave me a heart attack because I thought you really were going to tell me you had no plans to settle down any time soon."

"No-no, there is someone" Santana states. She has no idea what she's going to do now but right this second she has to make her gran happy.

* * *

2 months later

"Morning!" Quinn says cheerfully as she walks over to her desk at work.

"Can we have a little less cheer please, it's too early in the morning" Santana groans from her own desk. The two of them are high school best friends but once Santana finished college and was struggling to get any kind of work then Quinn put in a good word for her where she works.

"Someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning" Quinn teases. "What happened, a bad night?"

"I had the worst date ever last night, it really was a date from hell" Santana groans.

"Do you mean the person or the date itself was awful?" Quinn asks.

"Both" Santana replies. "He was an arrogant pig who couldn't stop talking about himself and get this, we had dinner in a sushi bar" she rolls her eyes.

"And you hate sushi" Quinn shakes her head.

"Right" Santana nods.

"Maybe you just need to take a break from dating then and wait until after the holiday period. I mean I know it's not ideal being single at Christmas but your head will be fried with all these dates you've been on in the last 2 months" Quinn states.

"No Quinn, I can't be single much longer" Santana sighs.

"Why not?" Quinn asks.

"I promised my grandma she'd see me happy before she dies and judging by her current mood and health, she's convinced she won't be here much longer so I need to find the one really soon" Santana sighs. "I really thought she was going to pull through so I thought I'd have plenty of time to find someone but now she's got me worried."

"Santana finding the one can't be rushed" Quinn replies.

"I know but I need to at least try since this was her only wish" Santana sighs.

"Perhaps you're not meeting anyone you really like is because you're forcing it. You're looking far into the future that you're not giving people a chance" Quinn reasons.

"Trust me, that's not it. All the guys just seem to be idiots" Santana sighs again.

"You just need to give them time. Get to know them and then judge how well you think you'd be together. If you only ever judge on first dates then it's not an ideal evaluation because lots of people are probably really nervous so their first impression isn't the best" Quinn replies.

"I don't know" Santana shakes her head.

"I've been on my fair share of crappy first dates but the person you're really destined to be with will become clear whenever you take the pressure off. You just need to relax and try and pick a decent guy from the get go so the date has half a chance of being ok" Quinn says.

"Do you think I'm maybe picking the wrong guys then?" Santana asks.

"Yeah" Quinn nods. "Just think clearly before you ask someone out."

"Wait a minute…" Santana smiles. "Why don't you just pick someone for me, that way I don't overthink who to go out with?"

"I don't know Santana" Quinn says hesitantly.

"Oh come on Quinn, you've always been a good judge of character so just pick someone for me I might like" Santana states.

"I don't think I should be involved with this Santana" Quinn sighs.

"Please help me" Santana almost begs.

"Santana…"

"Please" Santana smiles brightly.

"Urgh see that look, it gets me every time…if you weren't my best friend Santana I might seriously kill you" Quinn groans.

"Does that mean you'll do it?" Santana asks happily.

"Look I'll speak to Artie and we'll see if we can come up with some dates for you" Quinn says giving in.

"Thank you, you're the best" Santana smiles while hugging Quinn.

* * *

It's been a few days since Quinn agreed to find her some dates so tonight is the first night and Santana is meeting a man named Max that Artie knows. Quinn gave Santana Max's number so he texted her to tell her where to meet him. Just as Santana is pulling up to the address she is instantly regretting everything.

"A diner?" Santana says aloud to herself in her car. "It's a first date and he wants to meet in a frigging greasy old diner" she shakes her head. She isn't one to judge usually but this is really not something she wanted for a first date. It seems slightly cheap to her. She is just about to text Quinn about it when someone knocks on her car window.

"Are you Santana?" the man smiles.

"Uh…yeah" Santana replies while rolling the window down.

"I'm Max" he smiles.

"Oh" Santana nods before getting out of the car.

"Shall we head inside?" Max asks.

"Sure" Santana smiles. Max is kinda good looking and he seems nice enough so she's decided to go along with the date right now even though she really doesn't want to go to a diner.

"So are you hungry" Max asks.

"A little bit" Santana replies.

"Well I'm starving so let's go" Max says while leading the way into the diner. Once they get inside Max picks the table they'll sit at and then a waitress comes over with some menus for them. They look at them for a few minutes in silence before Max decides he's ready to order. "Are you done looking at the menu?"

"Yeah" Santana nods while closing her menu. The waitress comes over shortly later.

"Hi, what can I get you both?" the waitress asks.

"I'll have the barbeque chicken burger please and can I get a bottle of water" Max replies and the waitress writes that down.

"And for you?" she asks looking at Santana.

"Just coffee for me please" Santana replies.

"That's all you're ordering?" Max asks.

"Yeah, there's not really anything else on the menu for me" Santana replies.

"Well what would you have eaten?" Max asks.

"Something a lot healthier than anything here. Everything on the menu is either fried or greasy or it's just desserts and right now I don't want any dessert" Santana replies. She doesn't want to seem stuck-up but she didn't think going to some greasy diner is the best idea for a first date.

"Ok so just the coffee, water and the burger" the waitress asks to clarify.

"That's it" Santana smiles.

"Ok well if you need anything else my name is Brittany so just give me a shout" she smiles and takes the menus away.

"Thank you" Santana smiles politely back.

"I'm guessing diners aren't your thing" Max says breaking the silence.

"Not really, sorry" Santana replies. "I usually prefer to eat a little healthier but I don't judge anyone who does like diners because each to their own. Some people I dated in the past didn't like it when I went to a really healthy place either so I understand."

"I like to eat healthy to but this is one of my favourite places to eat so I thought it might be nice to come here" Max replies. "If the date goes well then you can choose where we go on the second date."

"Let's just focus on date number 1 first" Santana says nervously.

"Ok" Max shrugs. "So how long have you had your car, I couldn't help but notice it was a little tired looking?"

"Well I have had it a while so I guess it has seen better days" Santana replies. "What do you drive?"

"A Mercedes" Max replies. "I did have a BMW but I traded it in once I got bored of it."

"Oh" Santana nods.

"If you've got the money then why not use it, you know?" Max shrugs.

"That's true I suppose" Santana replies.

"Here's your order" Brittany smiles while placing their order down on the table. "Can I get either of you anything else?"

"Could I just get a glass of water please, I need something to drink but the coffee will be too warm right now?" Santana asks.

"Of course" Brittany smiles before leaving to get Santana some water. "There you go" she smiles again placing the glass in front of Santana.

"Thank you" Santana smiles.

"If you need anything else, just let me know" Brittany replies and then leaves.

"So what is it you do Santana, Artie didn't mention what it was?" Max asks.

"I work for a TV provider but it's like in the customer helpline department so I deal with technical issues and complaints. They'll phone me up with a problem or complaint and I need to deal with it whether that's by guiding them through how they can sort it themselves or sending out an engineer to fix the problem" Santana replies. "I did graduate college with a degree in finance but I haven't landed a job in that area yet."

"I see" Max nods. "So you basically sit on a phone all day talking to people?"

"I guess you could say that but it's not as simple as that" Santana states. "It's not like I'm gossiping all day, I actually do help people and sort out their problems."

"Ok" Max nods again.

"What about you?" Santana asks.

"What do I work as?" Max asks and Santana nods. "Take a guess" he smiles.

"You look like you like to work out so personal trainer maybe?" Santana guesses.

"Nope" he shakes his head.

"Can you give me a hint?" Santana smiles.

"Nope" Max smiles back.

"Well can you at least tell me if you went to college or not?" Santana asks.

"Ok fine, I didn't go to college" Max replies.

"Ok so it's something you don't need a college degree for" Santana muses. "What about having your own business, do you do something like that?"

"Not exactly no" Max shakes his head again.

"A builder maybe?" she asks.

"A builder, no" Max laughs.

"I just thought you'd need to be quite fit to lift lots of heavy things" Santana shrugs.

"I suppose you might but no, I'm not a builder" he replies.

"Is it anything to do with your physique? Like you're not just an office worker who really likes to work out are you?" she asks.

"Not an office worker and yes it has something to do with my looks" Max says.

"I'm struggling, I don't know" Santana groans.

"Come on, take another guess" Max states. After going back and forth and not getting the right answer, Santana gives up.

"I give up, just tell me" Santana sighs.

"I'm a model, duh!" he laughs. "Come on, it's really obvious."

"Is it?" Santana frowns. I mean she knew he was good looking but she doesn't know how it's that obvious.

"Yeah, if you had these looks wouldn't you be a model?" he asks.

"If I had your looks I would be very concerned considering I'm female" Santana states.

"No but if you were as hot as me wouldn't you want to be a model?" Max asks.

"Ok you're starting to walk a very thin line here" Santana says getting slightly annoyed. "I may not be a model but I wouldn't say I'm not as hot."

"Yeah but you aren't…no offence" Max states.

"Um…offence taken actually" Santana glares.

"Has anyone ever approached you or told you that you should be a model?" Max asks.

"No" Santana shakes her head.

"Ok then you're clearly not as hot as I am then" Max shrugs.

"Brittany!" Santana snaps suddenly.

"Is everything ok?" Brittany asks slightly annoyed with Santana's tone.

"Sorry I didn't mean to snap at you, I just wanted your attention" Santana says. "Look could I please get the check for my coffee?"

"Um…sure" Brittany says confused. "Just the coffee?"

"Definitely just the coffee" Santana says while glaring at Max.

"Ok no problem, I'll get that for you" Brittany smiles.

"Actually can I just pay over at the counter, the less time spent with this jerk the better" Santana states while standing up.

"Sure" Brittany nods.

"Wait, are you leaving Santana?" Max asks confused.

"What do you think?" Santana asks.

"What happened, we were just talking" Max states.

"Look if you can't see how you've offended me then there's no point in continuing the date" Santana replies.

"All I said was that you're not as hot as me. It's hardly that bad" Max shrugs.

"Actually telling a girl they're not hot on a first date is bad" Brittany states. "It's really not a great way to start."

"Whatever" Max says while rolling his eyes.

"Come on, I'll bill you for that coffee" Brittany says to Santana and they both walk over to the counter. Santana not saying another word to Max.

"I know it was hardly a crime what he said but why would I want to keep dating a douche who thinks he's hotter than me. I want someone who likes me as much as they like themselves, you know?" Santana says.

"I know what you're saying" Brittany smiles. "You don't want something who treats themselves better than they treat you."

"Exactly, anyway what do I owe you?" Santana asks.

"Two dollars 50 cents it is" Brittany replies.

"There you go" Santana says handing the money over to Brittany.

"I take it you're not in a rush to see him again?" Brittany laughs.

"Not really, no" Santana laughs.

"He's hot looking I suppose but that's probably the extent of it" Brittany says.

"Yeah" Santana nods. "I mean initially I felt he was judging me slightly about my car and where I work but I thought that was just because I came across slightly conceited at the beginning because I'm not a fan of eating in diners. The more I think about it though, I think he was just judging me anyway because I wasn't the same as him."

"There's bound to be someone else out there so I wouldn't worry about it" Brittany smiles.

"I hope so" Santana smiles back. "Anyway I should go now."

"Hey, have this on the house" Brittany says while handing Santana a cupcake. "Call it comfort food to compensate for your bad date."

"No that's not necessary but thank you" Santana smiles.

"I made it myself" Brittany smiles.

"Did you really?" Santana asks.

"Honestly I did. Sometimes the manager lets me sell some of my own stuff to make some extra cash" Brittany replies.

"In that case at least let me pay for it" Santana says taking her wallet back out.

"Honestly it's fine" Brittany smiles.

"I insist so tell me how much you charge for them and I'll take two" Santana states.

"Ok well they're 2 dollars each" Brittany replies.

"Ok, here are your 4 dollars" Santana smiles while handing the money over.

"Thank you" Brittany smiles.

"Anyway I really should be going now" Santana says. "I promised my roommate I would tell her all about my date but she's out of town tonight so I'm going to need to phone her."

"Goodnight then" Brittany smiles.

"Actually where is my phone" Santana says just realising she hasn't seen it since she left home. She starts frantically looking through her bag. "Crap, I can't find it" she Santana sighs. She begins emptying the contents of her bag out.

"When did you last have it?" Brittany asks.

"At home…actually no it was in my car" Santana replies.

"It must be in your bag or your car then" Brittany says. "Do you want me to help you look for it?"

"No it's ok, I don't want to take you away from your work" Santana replies.

"What kind of phone is it?" Brittany asks.

"It's an iPhone" she replies.

"And does it have a cover on it?" Brittany asks.

"No I…oh I found it!" Santana screeches happily. "Sorry that was loud" she says laughing.

"It's ok" Brittany smiles. She doesn't know why but she just thought Santana was so adorable there.

"Anyway now I'm going so goodbye Brittany" Santana smiles.

"Bye" Brittany smiles and then Santana leaves.

A few minutes later Brittany goes to serve another table when she notices a wallet similar to Santana's sitting on the side of the counter.

"Crap, Santana must have forget to put her wallet back in her purse" Brittany sighs.

* * *

It's the next day and Santana has just arrived at work. She goes straight over to her desk clearly not in a happy mood after last night's crappy date. She really doesn't know how she's going to find the perfect one.

"Morning" Quinn smiles while placing her things at her own desk before going over to Santana.

"I hate you Quinn" Santana mumbles with her head buried into her hands.

"What, why?" Quinn asks confused.

"Um…because of last night" Santana says while lifting her head up to look at Quinn.

"Oh the date Artie and I set you up on, how was it" Quinn asks.

"Fucking awful Quinn" Santana sighs while shaking her head. "He was a complete ass because we barely got far in the date when he proceeded to tell me that I wasn't as hot as him so I could never be a model."

"I am sure he didn't mean it" Quinn brushes it off.

"Quinn you know how I am, I don't want someone who doesn't think I'm hot. I like a guy who likes me as much if not more than himself" Santana sighs. "I can't change who I am so if they're not into me enough then I don't want them."

"Sometimes you have to adapt a little. I don't mean anything major but if you're so set in your ways then guys might not like that either" Quinn points out.

"Look it doesn't matter because Max really wasn't the one so let's forget about him" Santana states.

"Ok" Quinn nods. "So what are your plans now?"

"I have no idea Quinn. I need to find the person I'm going to marry before Christmas and it's freaking me out because the more dates I go on the more it gets worse" Santana sighs.

"Santana finding the person you want to marry shouldn't be a rush, you need to be really serious about them" Quinn states.

"I know but my grandmother isn't getting any better and I promised she would see me get married. Therefore I need to find this person before Christmas so we have time to be together before we marry" Santana says.

"Finding the perfect person is a marathon not a sprint Santana. You really can't rush it, like I just said you need to be serious about someone first" Quinn says.

"I'm her only granddaughter and I promised her she'd see me get married. I can't break a promise like that Quinn, I just can't do it to her" Santana replies.

"Surely if you talk to her and let her know that you haven't found that someone yet then she'll understand" Quinn reasons. "Perhaps she'll be content with just knowing you're happy with a guy but not quite ready to get married. Like there's no reason to rush the married part is there?"

"Um…it's not as easy as that" Santana says nervously.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asks confused.

"Look I just need to find the one Quinn, that's the bottom line and it needs to be done for Christmas" Santana sighs.

"Christmas isn't that far away though" Quinn mentions.

"I know and that's why it's freaking me out" Santana groans.

"Look just explain you're not ready for marriage yet but you are happy to find the one and be happy with them" Quinn says.

"Like I said, I can't do that" Santana sighs.

"But why not, I mean…wait" Quinn says taking a pause. "She does know you're still single right?"

"Not exactly" Santana admits embarrassingly.

"That's why you're rushing, because she thinks you've already found the one" Quinn states, realising it all makes sense now.

"I've got myself into a mess and I need to fix this before she finds out I haven't found someone yet" Santana sighs. "You need to help me Quinn."

"I will but someone just said our manager is coming so we need to do some work first" Quinn states.

"Ok but we're talking about this at our lunch break" Santana replies.

"Ok" Quinn nods.

XXX

Quinn and Santana are sitting having lunch together trying to decide what to do about Santana's situation when she suddenly realises something.

"Oh shoot, I think I left my wallet in that diner last night. I'm going to have to go there" Santana sighs.

"Are you sure?" Quinn asks.

"Yeah because I haven't took anything out my bag since last night at the diner and my wallet isn't here and I had it at dinner last night to pay for the coffee" Santana replies.

"Well do you want me to come with you?"

"No it's ok, just cover for me if I'm not back in time. I'll be as quick as I can" Santana says while hurriedly gathering her things.

"Ok" Quinn nods and then Santana rushes off. As soon as she reaches the diner she runs inside. She doesn't care if she looks stupid or is out of breath, she just wants to get her wallet before her lunch break ends.

"You're Brittany right?" Santana asks as she approaches the diner.

"That's me" Brittany smiles.

"I don't know if you remember me or not but I was here last night" Santana says.

"It's ok I remember you" Brittany smiles. "Who would forget someone as beautiful as you?"

"Um…" Santana doesn't know what to say.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It was really unprofessional of me" Brittany says feeling embarrassed.

"It's fine, honestly" Santana smiles. Even though she was surprised, she did still appreciate the compliment.

"So did you want a coffee or are you here for something else?" Brittany smiles while wiggling her eyebrows.

"I did leave my wallet here, didn't I?" Santana laughs.

"You might have" Brittany smiles again.

"It should have my driver's licence in it so you'll know it's mine" Santana says.

"I did happen to check the wallet to see who it belonged to and there was a driver's licence in it. Although the photograph of the person didn't look nearly as good as you so I'm not sure it is yours" Brittany smiles.

"I never photograph well" Santana admits.

"Well Santana, I wouldn't exactly say that" Brittany smiles.

"I was just about to ask how you knew my name but it's on my driver's licence isn't it" Santana smiles.

"It certainly is Miss Lopez" Brittany smiles again.

"Do you want an award or something for knowing my name?" Santana teases.

"No but a thank you wouldn't go amiss" Brittany says while waving the wallet in the air.

"Sorry, I should have said that first so thank you Brittany for keeping my wallet safe" Santana smiles.

"Don't you want to check it before thanking me, I might have swiped a 20 or something" Brittany smirks.

"It's fine, all I had was change and my bank card so there isn't any paper cash in there" Santana smirks back.

"Dammit" Brittany groans. She wanted to tease Santana but obviously it won't work if she had barely any money in her wallet. "Anyway there you go" she smiles while handing the wallet over.

"Thank you, you're a life saver" Santana smiles gratefully.

"So can I get you a coffee or something before you go?" Brittany asks.

"I better not because I need to be back at work really soon" Santana smiles.

"I'll put it in a to-go cup if you want" Brittany replies.

"Ok fine" Santana smiles. "My weakness really is coffee so you might as well get me a cup."

"One coffee coming right up" Brittany smiles before quickly making Santana some coffee and handing it over to her.

"I must rush back to work now before my boss notices I'm gone but thanks again for keeping my wallet safe" Santana says while leaving money on the counter for the coffee. "Keep the change" she smiles and then dashes out the door.

XXX

It's 6pm and Brittany is just about to finish her shift when someone sits down at the counter. She turns around about to tell them another waitress will be with them soon since she is finishing when she realises who it is.

"Santana, what are you doing here?" Brittany asks slightly surprised.

"I'm not entirely sure. I've just finished work and it's my day off tomorrow so I really should be partying it up but for some reason I was really craving good coffee and somehow I just ended up here" Santana smiles.

"Well I am sure I can help with that" Brittany smiles while getting Santana some coffee.


	2. Can I call you Britt?

Chapter 2: Can I call you Britt?

"So how was work?" Brittany asks as she prepares the coffee.

"It was ok but I'm just glad I'm not there tomorrow" Santana replies. "When do you finish work?"

"Five minutes ago actually" Brittany smiles.

"So why are you still standing over there serving me coffee, couldn't someone else do it?" Santana smiles back.

"They could but I wanted to make you coffee" Brittany tells her.

"Well how about when you finish doing that, grab your stuff and have coffee with me… Unless you have other plans that is" Santana says.

"Nope, no other plans" Brittany smiles.

"Cool."

As soon as Brittany makes the coffee, she goes to the other side of the counter and joins Santana.

"Tomorrow is Saturday and I don't work any of the weekend but what about you. I imagine this place is open on Saturdays and Sundays?" Santana asks.

"Yeah its open 7 days a week" Brittany nods, "But I'm actually off weekends. It's worked out pretty well actually because I work here full time Monday to Friday and some of the part timers who are at school or college work the weekends."

"Makes sense since they can't really work during the week if they have school commitments" Santana nods.

"Yeah I mean I started here when I was at college but ever since I graduated my shifts have changed slightly because I wanted more shifts" Brittany replies.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but why are you working here if you've already graduated from college?" Santana asks.

"It's simple, I didn't have the money to follow my dream right now" Brittany sighs. "I've got a business degree and I wanted to open my own catering company but I don't have the money for it so I need to make money before my dreams can come true."

"Oh I see" Santana nods in understanding. "I'm in a similar boat to you but not quite the same. See I graduated from college too with a degree in finance but apparently no one wants to hire me so I'm stuck working somewhere I hate."

"Oh yeah you mentioned something about working in a call centre or a helpline or something" Brittany says.

"Yeah it's something like that" Santana nods. "Wait…I've just realised now why you sell those cupcakes, it's because you want to be a caterer" she smiles.

"Yeah I mean I say catering but its more cakes and desserts I want to make and cater for small parties. I mean I can cook but I was more thinking of going down the line for catering birthday parties or funerals or making the cake for weddings" Brittany replies.

"Well if your cupcakes are anything to go by then you're going to make a killing. They tasted amazing, I bought two and had to eat them both. I was going to give one to my roommate but I just couldn't do it, they were too good to share" Santana smiles.

"Thank you" Brittany says blushing slightly.

"Hey this might sound weird since we've only just met but do you want to go out tonight. We could go to a bar and get some drinks or something. It sounds like we both need something to cheer us up" Santana asks.

"I would love to say yes but I think I'm going to decline" Brittany says regrettably.

"That's cool, I mean I get it. We barely know each other so maybe it isn't wise" Santana smiles sadly.

"Oh no it's not that" Brittany reassures her. "It's just because it's Christmas and I'm already struggling for money then I can't really afford it. I'm trying to really save up for having my own business and now with Christmas then I've really got to use my money for that so I'm not getting to put a whole lot into my dream, you know?"

"Of course, I understand" Santana smiles while placing her hand on Brittany's to reassure her. "Would you take me up on the offer though if I said my friend owns a bar and he could get us a few free drinks and if we wanted anymore I'll pay?"

"I can't let you do that Santana" Brittany shakes her head. She'd love to have drinks with Santana but she'd be too embarrassed if Santana were to pay for them all.

"At least have the free drinks then since they're free" Santana smiles.

"I don't know…"

"Please, I could really use the company after the week I've had" Santana pleads.

"Ok fine but only the free ones, I don't expect you to pay for my drinks" Brittany smiles.

"Excellent, let's go" Santana says while quickly downing the rest of her coffee in one go and then standing up quickly.

XXX

"Hey Sam" Santana says while fluttering her eyelashes at him as she sits down.

"What do you want?" he says rolling his eyes since he's used to Santana's behaviour now.

"Can my friend and I get some free drinks tonight?" she smiles brightly at him.

"Santana…"

"It's your place plus you know what a terrible time I've been having lately. No wants to hire me and I hate my current job and I just want to have a nice drink with Brittany here but I can't because I don't have enough money and…"

"Ok spare me the story" Sam says rolling his eyes again. "Look you can have a few free drinks since its Christmas but that's it because I still need to make a living here. If I gave everyone I know free drinks then barely anyone would pay and my bar wouldn't make any money."

"Deal" Santana smiles. Sam then sort them out some drinks.

"I'm Brittany by the way" Brittany smirks at Santana before holding her hand out to Sam to shake it.

"I'm sorry, I should have introduced you" Santana laughs.

"Nice to meet you Brittany" Sam smiles politely while shaking her hand.

"You too" Brittany nods.

"So where's Sarah tonight, is she stopping by?" Santana asks.

"No she had to work but I'm going over to her place when I finish" Sam replies.

"Cool" Santana smiles.

"Hey excuse me a second, I've got some customers to serve" Sam says while going over to the other end of the bar.

"Sarah is his girlfriend by the way" Santana says.

"I figured" Brittany smiles.

"I'm probably the only single one in my group of friends to be honest" Santana sighs. "I'm just never going to find that perfect one I don't think."

"Don't say that, you've got plenty of time. I mean what are you 23, 24?" Brittany replies.

"I turn 24 in January" Santana replies, "and how did you guess I was about that age. It was very specific for you to be able to just guess?"

"Well you said you had already been to college and had been struggling to find a job in your related field for a while so that made me think you had to have finished around a year ago so I figured you couldn't really be any younger than 22. Plus I did recall something on your driver's licence that made me think you were about that age" Brittany replies.

"Oh right, makes sense" Santana nods. "Yeah I mean I am still young but I am running out of time to find the perfect one" she sighs.

"Why do you say that?" Brittany frowns.

"Well my grandma is kinda sick right now and she doesn't think she's going to live much longer and her only wish before she dies is to see me get married. I sort of accidentally told her I was with someone so she's hoping for a wedding soon. I mean if I really want to find the one and get married then I need to find them by Christmas so we have time to actually be together and plan a wedding" Santana replies.

"Oh…that is a little bit of sticky situation" Brittany says feeling bad for Santana.

"I'm usually content with being single for a while and not rush into dating but ever since my grandma freaked me out and said she doesn't think she's going to make it much longer then I've been going on dates left right and centre trying to find my perfect man" Santana says.

"Well if last night is anything to go by then I wouldn't pick him" Brittany chuckles.

"You might laugh Britt but this is my life and so far there hasn't been any guys better than him" Santana says seriously.

"Britt?" Brittany teases.

"Sorry, do you not like that?" Santana apologises.

"No I do, it's just very few people call me Britt. It's always just Brittany" she smiles.

"Well can I call you Britt?" Santana smiles.

"Yeah, of course" Brittany smiles back.

"So anyway, do you have any advice to give about this whole dating thing?" Santana asks.

"I really don't know because if you're getting married then it has to be with someone you really like, not just someone so your grandma gets her wish" Brittany says.

"Exactly, I want it to be honest. I mean I could easily marry a friend just so my grandma has her wish but that's not really her wish if I'm not happy you know" Santana says.

"I guess you'll just need to keep dating until you find them then" Brittany says.

"But there must be a better way to do it, I mean how's your personal life, am I doing this whole dating thing wrong?" Santana asks.

"Right now I am the queen of loneliness" Brittany laughs.

"Single then?"

"Pretty much" Brittany nods. "I was in a relationship for a year but the pressure of me trying to get my dream got in the way. My ex was all set and found the perfect job whereas I'm clearly still struggling right now so I didn't feel like I had any support."

"Men really are pigs sometimes aren't they?" Santana shakes her head.

"My ex wasn't a man" Brittany smiles.

"Oh sorry, I just assumed" Santana apologises.

"It's fine, it's an easy mistake to make" Brittany smiles.

"So are you 100% into girls or do you like guys too?" Santana asks.

"I mean like everyone, I had boyfriends in high school and stuff but eventually I just realised maybe the reason it never worked out with any of them was because I wasn't totally into them. I had my first girlfriend in my senior year and as much as it didn't work out in the end, it made me realise that I'm gay" Brittany says honestly.

"One of my friends from college is actually a lesbian. She always assumed she was straight until she fell in love with a girl and she's never dated a guy since. I mean she broke up with the girl unfortunately but she's dated other girls after that" Santana says.

"Is she single now?" Brittany smirks.

"She is but I wouldn't want you to date her. I mean it's nothing against you but we're friends now and she's not the best person to date so I'd hate that to ruin what we have if she hurt you" Santana admits. "I mean if you really wanted I'd set you up but honestly, she is kind of a bitch."

"Then why are you friends?" Brittany asks.

"We're not close friends or anything, we were just friends at college and we send birthday and Christmas cards but we don't really hang out or anything. Occasionally we'll like each other's Instagram posts or briefly text but that's about the extent of it" Santana replies.

"I see" Brittany nods understanding.

"I can give you her number if you really want but all I'm saying is be careful" Santana replies.

"No it's fine, I trust you so if you don't think she's good enough for me then I'm ok with that" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana smiles back. They have only just met but they just seem to click and feel like they have known one another for years.

XXX

"Look I know you said you didn't want me to pay for your drinks but what do you say we get out of here and go back to my place. I've got a bottle of wine we can share?" Santana suggests.

"A girl asking me back to her place, my that hasn't happened in a long time" Brittany teases.

"Seriously though, I like talking to you and I feel like you understand me and god right now do I need that. All my friends are happy and have their careers and I just feel like you and I are on the same page" Santana states.

"Yeah I know what you're saying so let's do it. Let's go back to your place and open some wine" Britany smiles.

"Cool" Santana smiles back.

They quickly finish their drinks and then leave the bar. It's only a few seconds until they manage to catch a cab and then they head to Santana's place.

"Here we are ladies" the driver says while pulling up in front of Santana's apartment complex.

"I'll pay for this since you're letting me drink your wine" Brittany says while digging money out of her purse.

"No don't be silly, I'll get it because you'll need to pay for your cab ride when you go home" Santana says while taking the money from Brittany and putting into back into her bag.

"Fine, if you insist" Brittany playfully rolls her eyes, "I'm not about to argue and cause a scene."

"Thank you" Santana smiles before giving the cab driver his money.

"Have a good night ladies" the driver replies and then they both get out and he drives off.

"My roommate Claire is at her boyfriend's place so it'll just be us" Santana says as she unlocks her apartment.

"That's cool, wow this place is nice" Brittany smiles.

"Even though it's small, it's nicely put together because Claire is an interior designer" Santana replies.

"Well the place really looks great" Brittany says admiring Santana's home.

"Red or white, what's your preference?" Santana asks.

"Honestly I'm good with either, you decide" Brittany replies.

"Cool, just take a seat anywhere and I'll be through in a second" Santana says before going to the kitchen to grab the wine and some glasses. She walks back through a few seconds later. "I couldn't decide either so I went with the white because I figured it's easier to clean if we were to spill some" she shrugs.

"Oh I won't spill any wine, I never waste good alcohol" Brittany jokes.

"I'm kind of the same actually, I'm usually that girl at the party who tips the bottle upside down and has their tongue hanging out of their mouth waiting until the very last drop drips out" Santana chuckles.

"Hey I do that too so great minds clearly think alike" Brittany laughs.

"Exactly" Santana nods as she pours them both a glass of wine.

"Thank you" Brittany says taking the glass.

"So do you have a big family Brittany?" Santana asks as she takes a seat next to Brittany on the couch.

"Just me and my sister actually" Brittany replies. "You?"

"Well my dad was an only child and then he and my mom had just me and my brother so that's why it's so important for me to honour my gran's wish because I'm her only granddaughter" Santana replies. "I mean my brother is older than me and he's married now so my gran already went to their wedding now she wants to go to mine."

"I hope you don't mind me asking but what is wrong with your gran, is she actually dying?" Brittany asks.

"I don't know to be honest. I mean she just had an operation on her leg two months ago and the doctors seemed pleased with her recovery but she's got it in her head she's not going to be here much longer" Santana sighs. "I don't know if she's just feeling down this time of year because my grandpa died in early December a few years ago or if there's something she's not telling me."

"Because the doctors said she was recovering well is that why you thought you had more time to find the perfect one?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah I didn't want her to be completely disappointed in me so I said I was dating someone but then she suddenly told me she didn't think she'd be here much longer so now I'm under a huge amount of pressure" Santana sighs.

"She sounds like a nice person, are you sure she won't understand if you just talk to her. Just tell her you're happy in life at the moment so she doesn't need to worry" Brittany says.

"She probably would understand but she really wants to see me married so she'd be gutted if she didn't get to see that" Santana replies.

"I suppose" Brittany nods sympathetically.

"Hey do you mind if we talk about something else right now. I want a night of from worrying about what's going to happen with this whole dating thing" Santana asks.

"No that's cool, let's talk about something else" Brittany smiles. "Hey how about music, what kind of genre are you into?"

"I'm not hugely fixated on a particular kind of music. I usually just like anything current" Santana replies. "Once I hear a new song it's my favourite for a while and then another song gets released and then that's my favourite."

"I'm sort of like that too, I guess" Brittany nods.

XXX

"I've just realised we have been hanging out all night and not once have we swapped numbers yet" Brittany smiles. "Hey pass me your phone and I'll put my number in" she says and Santana hands her her phone.

"I'll put mine in yours" Santana says while picking up Brittany's phone. They quickly put in their numbers and hand the phones back. "Sexy Britt, really?" she laughs as she notices that's how Brittany has entered the contact name for herself.

"It's better than just putting in Santana, I mean that's boring" Brittany teases.

"Well it's my name so what else should I have put?" Santana laughs.

"Something more creative and identifying to you" Brittany states.

"Give me an example then."

"Hot brunette…no wait that sounds slightly cheap and disrespectful" Brittany frowns.

"Yeah it sounds like some hook-up you've had and you can't remember their name" Santana laughs while shaking her head.

"Maybe beautiful brunette then" Brittany shrugs.

"How about we just leave it as Santana?"

"No I want something else" Brittany groans. "I've got it…hottest girl I know" she smiles triumphantly.

"Don't put me in your phone as that, just put Santana please" Santana says seriously.

"No I want to keep hottest girl I know because it's the most accurate" Brittany smiles.

"Fine, whatever" Santana waves it off, "it's your phone I guess."

"So apart from the whole, finding the perfect one, are you all sorted for Christmas?" Brittany asks while putting her phone away.

"Not really to be honest" Santana laughs. "I mean I shouldn't laugh because Christmas is in a few weeks but I've just not had the urge to get organised yet. What about you?"

"I'm slowly getting there I would say" Brittany replies. "I was hoping to do some shopping on Sunday and get the bulk of what's left then."

"Yeah I might go shopping this weekend. I'm going to visit my grandma tomorrow but if I'm not too busy the rest of the day then I might do some shopping" Santana says.

"Oh is that the time, I probably should be going home now" Brittany says looking at her watch.

"Ok, cool" Santana smiles.

"Well it was fun hanging out Santana" Brittany says while gathering her things. "We should do it again some time."

"We definitely should" Santana smiles. "I'll walk you to the door."

"Cool" Brittany smiles and they both walk to the door. "I think I'll be going straight to bed when I get home."

"You never actually said, do you live alone?" Santana asks.

"No I live with my parents at the moment. I mean I could handle living alone, it's just cheaper this way just now plus as long as I pay rent and do my fair share around the house then my parents are cool with me doing as I please" Brittany replies.

"Cool" Santana smiles. "I guess I'll see you at some point, we can keep in touch."

"Yeah definitely, goodnight Santana" Brittany smiles.

"Goodnight Britt" Santana smiles back.

* * *

The weekend flew by and now it's Monday morning again. Brittany has just went on her break when she realises she has a text from Santana.

 _From Santana: just making myself some coffee and it reminded me of you : )_

 _To Santana: apart from making coffee, what are you up to?_

 _From Santana: just on a quick break at work, you?_

 _To Santana: yeah I'm on a break too_

 _From Santana: did you get your Christmas shopping done yesterday?_

 _To Santana: I did so that's one less thing to worry about_

 _From Santana: yeah I got some done too which I was glad about_

 _To Santana: what time do you finish tonight?_

 _From Santana: 6pm, you?_

 _To Santana: same. Hey do you want to hang out some time?_

 _From Santana: I'd love too, when?_

 _To Santana: are you free tomorrow night?_

 _From Santana: yeah and Claire is at her boyfriend's place again so do you just want to come over to mine?_

 _To Santana: sounds good. I should go now but I'll see you tomorrow around 7pm?_

 _From Santana: 7 sounds great, see you then_

They both stop texting and then get back to work. Brittany is only half an hour into her shift since her break when Mercedes walks over.

"Hey, how are you?" Mercedes asks while taking a seat in front of Brittany at the counter.

"I'm good, really good" Brittany can't help the huge smile plastered across her face.

"What's got you so happy?" her best friend asks.

"Just a girl that I met" Brittany replies.

"Oh a girl?" Mercedes smirks.

"It's not like that though" Brittany sighs, "she's straight."

"Oh right" Mercedes nods.

"As much as it sucks that she wouldn't be into me, I still really like hanging out with her. It's like she totally gets me and understands what I'm going through at the moment. She graduated college too and can't find the job she wants which is similar to me because I'm stuck here at the moment" Brittany says.

"We're all here for you Brittany if you need anything but I'm glad you have someone to talk to that knows how you feel" Mercedes smiles.

"Why are all the straight girl's the nicest?" Brittany sighs playfully. "Santana is like my ideal girl and yet I can't have her because she likes guys and how can I compete with guys?" she shrugs.

"I'm sure you'll find someone eventually but it doesn't mean you can't have fun and make new friends along the way like Santana" Mercedes states.

"That's true" Brittany nods.


	3. Maybe you need to explore other options

Chapter 3: Maybe you need to explore other options

It's Tuesday and Brittany is going over to Santana's place later to hang out. She doesn't know if it's the excitement of seeing Santana again or if it's just a general boring day in the diner but for some reason the time seems to be going by so slowly. Five minutes feel like an hour to her and it feels like an age until she finishes and gets to see Santana again.

"Hey Brittany you can go on your break now" one of the other waitresses says to Brittany.

"Oh thank god" Brittany loudly sighs in relief causing her colleague to laugh at her. "You have no idea how slowly today seems to be going Louise" she groans.

"Really, I thought it was actually going rather fast" Louise states.

"Well certainly not for me but anyway, I'll go and get my lunch" Brittany smiles before taking her apron off and going through to the back. She just gets her lunch out of the fridge and unlocks her phone when suddenly it rings with a text.

 _From Santana: hey, are we still on for tonight? : )_

Brittany doesn't waste any time and texts Santana straight back

 _To Santana: yeah definitely. I'm looking forward to it_

 _From Santana: me too, oh don't eat before you come_

 _To Santana: that's not fair, you can't starve me ; )_

 _From Santana: don't worry I'm not going to. I was going to make us something to eat that's why I don't want you to eat_

 _To Santana: ok cool_

 _From Santana: so how are you? Wait I'm not disturbing you from work am I?_

 _To Santana: I'm doing fine and no I'm on my break so I can talk_

 _From Santana: cool_

 _To Santana: what about you, are you working right now?_

 _From Santana: yeah but it's a slow day so I sneakily brought my phone out. If I suddenly stop texting you then you'll know I've either got a customer to help or my manager has walked in_

 _To Santana: ok lol. Hey since you're cooking tonight, do you want me to bring anything?_

 _From Santana: no don't be silly, I've got it covered_

 _To Santana: are you sure?_

 _From Santana: honestly…shit got to go_

Brittany can't help but laugh at how adorable Santana seems to be. She obviously couldn't see or hear her when she sent the last text but she could just imagine how she was in that moment when she had to rush off.

XXX

Finally it's 6pm and Brittany is finishing work. The second part of her shift, after her break, didn't seem to go any quicker than the first part of her shift. She felt like she was counting down the seconds and it didn't help that the till in front of her displayed the time so she was constantly reminded of the time.

As soon as Brittany leaves the diner, she rushes home to get changed and freshen up a bit. By the time she's ready it is almost 7 so she leaves straight away. She knew Santana said not to bring anything but she thought the least she could do is bring some cupcakes since she makes them anyway so as soon as she arrives she heads inside the apartment complex, cupcakes in hand.

"Hey, in you come" Santana smiles while opening the door.

"Thank you" Brittany smiles back. "These are for you by the way" she says handing over the box of cupcakes.

"Britt I told you not to bring anything but thank you" she smiles.

"I know but I felt I should at least give you something if you're cooking for me" Brittany replies.

"Wait there's 8 cakes here…Brittany are you trying to fatten me up?" Santana teases.

"Of course not but I figured you could share them with your friends and your roommate or even take one to your gran" Brittany shrugs.

"I might just do that, thank you very much" Santana says giving Brittany a quick hug. "My gran does actually have quite a sweet tooth so I'm sure she'll enjoy one of these."

"Well if she does like them then just let me know and I can make her some more" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana smiles back. "Right I better go and check on dinner but can I get you something to drink?"

"I'll come with you and get it. I don't want to leave you doing all the cooking, it's not fair" Brittany replies.

"Honestly I don't mind" Santana states.

"No sorry, I meant it's not fair on me because if you do it all then you might burn it and that's not great considering I am so hungry right now" Brittany teases.

"Oh is that so" Santana smirks while playfully hitting Brittany's arm.

"Seriously though, I'd be bored sitting myself so I might as well help you" Brittany says.

"Ok that's cool then" Santana replies and they both make their way to the kitchen.

"So what is it that we're actually eating tonight?" Brittany asks.

"Lasagne, is that ok?" Santana asks.

"Is it vegetarian lasagne?" Brittany replies.

"No, sorry" Santana replies worriedly.

"I can't eat it then because I'm a vegetarian, sorry" Brittany replies seriously.

"Really?" Santana quirks an eyebrow.

"Honestly honey" Brittany nods.

"Ok if you're a vegetarian then why were you eating a chicken salad sandwich at lunch yesterday and don't even deny it because we were texting again last night and you mentioned that" Santana states.

"Sorry my phrasing was wrong, I am a vegetarian who can eat chicken or white meat I should say" Brittany smiles.

"Brittany stop messing around" Santana laughs.

"I'm not messing, honestly" Brittany smiles sweetly.

"Ok fine, you'll just need to eat the salad and bread then because I'm not making anything else" Santana replies.

"That's cool" Brittany says.

XXX

"So where do you normally spend Christmas?" Santana asks as she begins cutting some bread while Brittany puts together the salad.

"Usually my house and the whole family comes over. I mean when I was younger we'd all go to my grandparent's house and my other grandparents would come as well since my mom was an only child but ever since my gran died then it's easier to have it at mine" Brittany replies. "My grandparents were kind of old fashioned in the way that she did all the cooking and he went out and worked so 1) it's not fair to expect him to cook for everyone and 2) he wouldn't know where to start anyway."

"I understand that" Santana nods.

"I've only got my two grandpas left now anyway and my dad's sister comes over with her children as well so it's quite nice having it at my house. I mean we all pitch in and do the cooking so it's fair" Brittany smiles.

"I'm guessing you like to take care of the dessert though" Santana says.

"Yeah that is true. Thankfully everyone likes my desserts because I probably wouldn't want anyone else doing it anyway" Brittany smiles.

"So what do you actually have at Christmas then, I mean do you have turkey just at Thanksgiving or do you have it at Christmas too?" Santana asks.

"My mom usually likes to at least serve it at both but not all of us eat turkey at both. I mean she sometimes will serve roast beef as well so if we don't want turkey again then we can have roast beef or sometimes ham actually" Brittany replies.

"What do you prefer?" Santana asks.

"Well Christmas is only once a year so I like to go all out at Christmas dinner and basically have a little bit of everything" Brittany smiles.

"So turkey and roast beef?" Santana asks.

"Yeah pretty much" Brittany replies.

"Ah-hah!" Santana screams, a little too loudly perhaps.

"What?" Brittany asks confused but nevertheless laughing at how cute Santana's scream was.

"You just admitted it, oh my god" Santana laughs uncontrollably.

"Admitted what?" Brittany smiles, wishing she could be where Santana's at right now.

"You just admitted you eat roast beef aka red meat" Santana says continuing to laugh.

"Shit" Brittany gasps while covering her mouth with her hand.

"Not so smart now are you?" Santana smirks.

"Wait is that why you starting asking me about Christmas dinner, because you wanted to catch me out?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah pretty much. I mean don't get me wrong, I was interested in what you were saying but it did start off as a ploy to see if you'd slip up and you most certainly did" Santana smirks again.

"I am hurt Santana" Brittany says feigning hurt.

"Oh don't be silly" Santana waves it off.

"Yeah I'm not that hurt" Brittany shrugs.

"Can I just say how cute it is every time you try and joke with me and it just backfires? I mean that right there reminded me of when you said you swiped a 20 from me when I never even had a 20 on me" Santana smiles.

"Ok no need to make a fool of me" Brittany replies pretending to be annoyed.

"I'm not but can you please just say for clarification that you do eat meat?" Santana asks.

"Yes I can so no I'm not a vegetarian and yes I like all kinds of meat" Brittany replies.

"Except in the male variety since you know, you're gay" Santana quips.

"Oh do we have a little dirty joker in our midst?" Brittany smirks.

"I am known to make a dirty joke or two, yes" Santana smiles. "Anyway I should get back to dinner" she says and Brittany nods.

As soon as dinner is ready, they plate up the food and sit in the living room together eating.

"I'm sorry we're eating in front of the TV but I don't own a kitchen table nor do I have room for one" Santana smiles.

"That's ok, when I was in college that's all I did because I was so busy all the time that I had to basically sit in my room doing my coursework while I ate" Brittany replies. "I mean my mom offered to cook and I could eat with the rest of the family but it was just quicker to throw something in the microwave and eat in front of my laptop."

"Yeah I hear you. I was basically like that too" Santana nods. "I mean I stayed with my parents and just travelled to college every day but then I became friends with Claire and she needed a roommate to take some pressure off the rent so I just moved in here about a year ago."

"I mean my whole life is here and I got accepted to a college reasonably close so there wasn't really any point in getting my own place" Brittany says.

"Yeah same here" Santana agrees.

"To be fair if I didn't want to start up my own business and just needed money to get by then I probably would have got my own place by now because I could afford it" Brittany says. "But because I not only need to keep myself and get a place but I also need buy a place for my business too."

"Brittany you don't need to explain to me why you still live at home because I totally get it. I don't judge you, I actually admire you because you're so mature about things" Santana smiles.

"It just gets embarrassing sometimes that I have a degree and a full time job but yet I'm still living with my parents and all my friends have their own place" Brittany sighs.

"Trust me, loads of people still live at home. It's nothing to be ashamed about" Santana reassures her.

"Ok" Brittany nods. "Hey let's talk about something else, something a bit happier" she smiles.

"Well I know something else to talk about but I can't say it's going to be happier" Santana states.

"What is it?" Brittany asks.

"Well I actually have another date on Friday. It's someone my friend Quinn knows and he has a degree and is a lawyer so I'm hoping this guy might be more my type than the rest. I mean he sounds smart so I'll be able to have an intelligent conversation with him so I'm hoping he's not a jerk like the rest" Santana replies.

"That's good then, it sounds promising" Brittany smiles.

"Yeah. I mean I'm not saying you need to have a degree to be intelligent but sometimes if the person is on your wavelength intelligence wise then you have more to talk about" Santana says.

"I agree" Brittany nods. "Actually it doesn't even need to be intelligence, just maybe having the same kind of life skills as you. I mean we get each other not only because we have college degrees but because we're both struggling at the minute but are still holding onto our dreams."

"That is true" Santana smiles.

* * *

It's been over a week now since Brittany and Santana first met and they've spoke to each other every day since whether that's by text or meeting up to hang out. They're currently having lunch together at a café nearby where they both stay.

"How was last night's date then?" Brittany asks.

"Take a guess" Santana states.

"Not great judging by your tone" Brittany replies.

"Each date I go on is worse than the last. It's like I really can't win anymore and it's driving me insane" Santana sighs.

"What was wrong with Jason then?" Brittany asks.

"Well first off his name was James so I spent the first half an hour calling him Jason. I swear on my life Quinn told me he was called Jason" Santana shakes her head. "I mean don't get me wrong, he told me politely the first time his name was James not Jason but somehow the name Jason was just stuck in my mind so I kept saying it and I could see he was getting more and more frustrated."

"Oh dear" Brittany says feeling bad for Santana.

"Then not only did I spill water over him but I managed to inappropriately touch him in the process" Santana says.

"What like…you know?" Brittany asks hesitantly.

"Yeah as soon as I knocked the jug over, for some reason I just grabbed my napkin and started wiping his pants. God Brittany I don't know what came over me, as soon as I realised I was basically copping a feel of him more than helping I was mortified" Santana says, her face turning red with embarrassment at the thought of last night.

"Oh honey" Brittany says struggling not to laugh. She doesn't mean to but it's like a scene out of a movie or something.

"I did apologise profusely all night but the embarrassment didn't end there. I ended up groping his ass too" Santana states.

"Wow you don't waste any time on a first date" Brittany teases.

"I didn't mean to, he was going for a quick peck on the cheek as we were both leaving but as he leant in, I stumbled in those stupid new heels of mine and felt myself falling so I reached out to grab what I thought was his hand so I didn't go down" Santana says mortified.

"Honey you better check your mail when you get home, I'd hate for there to be a sexual harassment notice sent to you in the post" Brittany teases.

"Can they send those by post?" Santana frowns.

"Jeez I don't know, I was joking" Brittany laughs.

"Right yeah" Santana says worriedly.

"Honestly Santana I am joking. He's not going to do that because it was hardly that bad what happened. Embarrassing yes; a crime no" Brittany reassures her.

"Well regardless anyway, I doubt I'll be seeing him again" Santana sighs.

XXX

After lunch, they went back to Santana's place for a while where Brittany promised to help Santana write her Christmas cards which she hates doing. Santana would write the card and then Brittany had to address the envelope.

"Can I just say something about this whole dating thing of yours?" Brittany asks.

"Sure" Santana nods while looking up from the card she was just writing.

"I was just thinking, maybe you aren't exploring all channels" Brittany states.

"I don't understand" Santana frowns in confusion.

"Maybe dating all these guys and it not working out is the universe's way of telling you something" Brittany shrugs.

"I'm still lost Britt" Santana sighs.

"Have you ever been attracted to a girl before?" Brittany asks.

"I haven't really thought about it, why?" Santana shrugs, "…Oh no" she shakes her head when she realises what Brittany meant.

"You might not be giving yourself a proper chance if you're only limiting yourself to guys" Brittany replies.

"Look I'm not opposed to lesbians, I just have never looked at a girl like that before" Santana states. "Plus I want my gran to see me get married not have a heart attack on my wedding day."

"Does she not agree with being gay?" Brittany asks.

"I don't really know if I'm honest but what I do know is that she's super traditional and old fashioned so I'd rather not run the risk" Santana replies.

"You could be shooting yourself in the foot then because you never know, you might find happiness with a girl" Brittany shrugs.

"No I don't think so Britt. I mean like I say there wouldn't be anything wrong with that but I really doubt I'm gay" Santana replies.

"I'm not saying you're gay, I'm just saying maybe you might find a girl that you fall in love with. Look I know I say I'm gay but to be honest no one needs to label themselves. You are who you are and you like who you like" Brittany says.

"I suppose" Santana says pondering the thought.

"Look why don't we go out tonight, I'll take you to a bar that I know and you can see if possibly you could be attracted to a girl" Brittany says. She doesn't mind going out just this once and spending some money if it's going to help Santana.

"That sounds a little scary Britt, I don't know about that" Santana says nervously.

"Look I'm not saying I want you to meet someone there. I'm just saying it might let you see that you could possibly be attracted to a woman. I mean if we get there and it's really making you uncomfortable then we'll leave" Brittany says. "Trust me if I thought you could hook up with someone there then I'd have met someone there myself by now."

"I might regret this but what the hell. Take me to this bar" Santana laughs nervously.

"Honestly though, if you don't like it we'll leave" Brittany smiles.

"Deal" Santana smiles back.

"Ok so do you want to change or are you cool like that?" Brittany asks.

"No I think I'll change" Santana replies.

"Cool" Brittany nods. "So once you're done, can we swing by my house to drop off my car and let me change then we can take a cab to the bar because I assume we'll be drinking."

"Definitely I'll be drinking, I need something to calm my nerves" Santana jokes.

As soon as Santana is ready they go back to Brittany's house and she changes. They then quickly get a cab and head to the bar. Santana was getting really quite nervous so Brittany agreed that for the first while all they did was sit and have a few drinks. They don't even need to interact with anyone else except the bartender.

"So are your nerves settling yet?" Brittany smiles.

"A little bit but please just don't ever leave me" Santana replies.

"That's not going to happen, I promise" Brittany replies while giving Santana a side hug.

"Good" Santana smiles and leans into Brittany slightly. They sit in silence for a few more minutes just sipping their drinks.

"So there are some hot chicks in here right?" Brittany smiles as she looks around.

"I mean sure the ladies are all good looking but I'm not feeling anything right now apart from nerves" Santana admits.

"I'm not saying you'll feel like you want to sleep with them right away but if you can at least acknowledge they're hot then you're being more open about things."

"Like I say I'm not against this whatsoever, I've just never thought about a woman in another way before" Santana states.

"That's ok and if you still don't after a while then we'll just leave" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana nods.

They're just sitting with their drinks looking around occasionally when a girl approaches Brittany.

"Hey" the girl smiles.

"Uh…hi" Brittany replies hesitantly.

"My friend and I over there happened to notice you two but we weren't sure if you were together or not" the girl smiles again.

"Oh right well we are" Brittany smiles back.

"Oh…ok. Sorry to bother you" the girl apologises and walks away again.

"Um…what was that" Santana laughs while slapping Brittany on the arm.

"What?" Brittany shrugs.

"You totally knocked back that girl and she clearly liked you" Santana states.

"I know but tonight is about you and to be honest I wasn't really feeling like chatting anyone up" Brittany replies.

"But you're single Brittany and you said before you'd like to meet someone" Santana says. She doesn't understand why Brittany wouldn't want to talk to a girl when she was clearly into her.

"Look don't worry about me, tonight is about you" Brittany smiles. It really doesn't bother her right now that she said no to the girl.

XXX

Santana is making her way over to Brittany coming back from the bathroom. A few of the women have tried to talk to her but she's really not feeling very comfortable anymore especially without Brittany.

"Hey did you find the bathroom ok?" Brittany smiles.

"Yeah" Santana nods.

"Are you ok?" Brittany asks concerned.

"I'm sorry Brittany, this really isn't my scene. I think I'm going to go home now" Santana says. There's no denying they're all really nice and they're hot but it feels too much for Santana. She's never been around girls like this before.

"Ok I'll come with you" Brittany says getting off her seat.

"No you stay because you've been getting a lot of attention tonight so maybe you'll find someone" Santana smiles.

"You're not going home alone Santana, I'm coming with you" Brittany says with finality. She brought Santana here so she's not making her leave alone.

"I'm a big girl Britt" Santana smiles.

"I know you are but I'd be a pretty shitty friend to make you come here and then make you leave yourself" Brittany says.

"Britt you didn't make me come, I agreed. I'm just not feeling it tonight but I don't regret coming, honestly" Santana smiles.

"Ok but I'm still going home with you" Brittany replies.

"Ok, fine" Santana shrugs. "Just don't blame me in the morning when you regret coming with me and not coming with someone else" she winks.

"Oh ha, ha" Brittany smiles while nudging Santana's arm. They then leave and luckily there's a cab outside so they get into it.

"Since I cut this night short, do you want to come back to mine. It's a bit early to call it a night don't you think?" Santana asks.

"Yeah I'll come back to yours" Brittany smiles. Santana then tells the driver the address and they set off. As soon as they get to Santana's place she pours them some wine and they relax in the living room.

"It looks like Claire has been and gone already" Santana says while picking up a note that was left on the table. " _Staying at Martin's again, don't wait up, x"_ she says reading the note aloud.

"All the more wine for us then" Brittany smiles.

"That's right" Santana smiles back. "So…tonight was slightly eventful" she says after a pause.

"Look I promise I wasn't trying to force you into this, I just wanted to show you that men aren't the be all and end all" Brittany states.

"I know. I mean some of them really were smoking hot but it all got too much for me too soon. I mean I know it was only supposed to be so I could see if I was attracted to girls but my head just ran away with itself. I kept overthinking stuff and thinking way too far ahead. I mean no offence but I wouldn't know what to do with a girl if I even was interested" Santana admits embarrassingly.

"It's actually easier because girls like what girls like, you know" Brittany smiles. "We women know how women want to be treated so it's basically as simple as what you like other women probably like."

"I suppose a good portion of what you like is kind of mental too. Like if you're just not into someone enough then I guess it wouldn't feel as good obviously. I suppose if I did like another women then it's probably going to be instinctive because the mental side would be there too if you know what I mean" Santana says.

"Yeah I understand" Brittany smiles. "If you're into someone then it'll just come, no pun intended, but if you're not then you're not going to know what you want to do."

"Yeah exactly" Santana agrees.

"Could you possibly see yourself attracted to women?" Brittany asks.

"I mean I think I could. I think my mind was just running away but if you just asked me in general about a woman and I did think she was hot then I'd say that" Santana shrugs.

"Cool" Brittany nods.

"I think if I were a lesbian or at least into a girl I'd like one just like you to date" Santana smiles.

"How much wine did you have?" Brittany asks looking at the bottle.

"Come on Britt, I'm being serious" Santana smiles. "You're kind, caring, funny, smart and not to mention sexy."

"Which all of your friends probably are just like that" Brittany states.

"I know we are friends and you did all the things you did for me because of that but that doesn't mean I can't admire you or appreciate you as someone other than my friend" Santana says.

"So from a friend point of view you think I'm hot?" Brittany asks.

"Yes but because I also know you now then I probably would like to date someone like yourself if I were to happen to date a girl" Santana smiles.

"Have you ever kissed a girl before?" Brittany asks, "I mean like at all, like at a party or for a dare or something?"

"I actually haven't, why are you going to show me how it's done?" Santana winks.

"No-no, I was just asking" Brittany smiles.

"While we're on the subject, if I were into girls would you be into me?" Santana asks.

"Oh…um…I mean we're friends so" Brittany is starting to get embarrassed now.

"That doesn't matter, I just told you I could be into you so you can admit it to me" Santana smiles.

"Santana…"

"Come on, we're friends so I'd like us to be honest" Santana says seriously.

"Ok, yes. You definitely would be someone I would go for" Brittany replies.

"Ok" Santana smiles.

"That's it, you're not going to tease me?" Brittany asks confused.

"I'm not going to make fun of you because it's not a joke to you. You are a girl who likes other girls which I respect so I'm being serious about it. I mean I have tons of guy friends that I could be into and they could be into me but we're not together and wouldn't act on it. I mean we don't see each other that way but if we did then I would be into someone like them if you get me" Santana replies.

"I do" Brittany smiles sadly. On the one hand she's happy she gets on so well with Santana and they understand each other but on the other hand, it just proves she's never actually going to get Santana.

"I'm being serious here but I want to ask something" Santana starts and Brittany nods. "What is it like kissing a girl?"

"I would say it's like kissing anyone but if you really mean kissing then it's slightly different. I mean girls don't have facial hair for starters…well they might but they tend to maintain it" Brittany jokes. "To be honest it's kinda hard for me to explain but obviously to me it feels nicer."

"Ok" Santana nods.

"Maybe you should kiss a girl and find out what it's like" Brittany replies.

"What someone like you?" Santana says, a slight smirk appearing on her face.

"Well…"

"Blame it on the wine if you want but I feel like I want to kiss you right now" Santana admits shyly.

"Just to see what it feels like?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah I guess" Santana nods. "So can I?"

"Yeah" Brittany says before she can even register it. Her lips betray her head because she thinks this probably isn't the best thing to do.

"Ok, so…" Santana puts her glass down on the table and turns towards Brittany. Brittany does the same so they're both sitting facing one another. Santana then moves in closer and they both lean in and kiss gently on the lips.

"You lips are so soft" Brittany smiles.

"So are yours actually" Santana smiles back.

They both look at each other for a second before leaning in again and kissing. The kiss begins to heat up and before they know it, their hands begin wandering. They were right earlier, it is instinctive when you're into someone.

"Wait…" Brittany says shaking her head.

"What's wrong?" Santana asks concerned.

"I can't do this Santana. I'm done with girls who experiment, it was basically my life in freshmen year so I don't want to go back to that" Brittany admits honestly.

"You're right. I'm sorry" Santana says embarrassed. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you or disrespect you."

"It's ok and I will help you, just not like this" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana smiles back.

XXX

"Do you know what, fuck it" Brittany states. "It's been a long time since a girl wanted me like you did and clearly you need a little relief too."

"Wait, do you actually want to…"

Brittany doesn't let Santana finish, instead she leans in and kisses her passionately.


	4. This is just flipping fantastic!

Thanks for all the views, follows, favourites and reviews. I quite like writing this fic but it is supposed to just be a Christmas one so it's probably not going to be that long. I've got another few chapters to come anyway after this one but ideally it'll probably be finished by Christmas unless I can find a way to adapt it slightly once the Christmas part is over.

* * *

Chapter 4: this is just flipping fantastic!

"Do you know what, fuck it" Brittany states. "It's been a long time since a girl wanted me like you did and clearly you need a little relief too."

"Wait, do you actually want to…"

Brittany doesn't let Santana finish, instead she leans in and kisses her passionately.

"Britt, wait" Santana says pulling away before things go too far.

"Look I know what I said ten minutes ago but you're not some random girl Santana and I know you wouldn't want to hurt me so can't we have a little fun. Our personal lives are both miserable right now so can't we do something to cheer ourselves up?" Brittany says.

"I'm down with some fun because you have got me interested in what it would be like with a girl but I don't want to give you the wrong impression especially since we're such good friends now" Santana admits.

"Trust me, I understand your situation and I don't expect anything from this" Brittany smiles.

"Honestly?" Santana asks for clarification.

"Honestly" Brittany smiles.

"Ok well let's do this" Santana says excitedly.

"Ok" Brittany nods happily back.

"Actually why don't we go to my room because we'll be more comfortable there and it's obviously more private. I mean I don't expect anyone to walk in and Claire did say she wouldn't be home but it's just in case someone…"

"Santana, it's cool. Let's go to your bedroom" Brittany says cutting Santana off before she goes off on a tangent.

"Sorry, I talk a little bit more when I get nervous" Santana admits. "I mean I still want to do this it's just it's natural to be a little nervous right?"

"Yes it's ok to be nervous but if you want to stop then just say and we will. I'll be happy with whatever you're happy with" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana smiles back. They then make their way to Santana's bedroom and she closes the door behind them.

"So…" Brittany smiles as she walks closer to Santana.

"Yeah" Santana smiles back.

"How about we dim the lights slightly" Brittany says while leaning closer to Santana to reach the light switch at the door behind her. Santana can feel Brittany's breath against her ear.

"Ok" Santana nods.

Once Brittany dims the lights, she then puts her hands on Santana's hips and looks straight into her eyes. Santana looks back at her, smiles, and then puts her arms round Brittany's neck. She stares at Brittany's lips for a moment before leaning in and kissing her. Brittany immediately kisses back and after a few moments the kiss intensifies and Brittany reaches up slightly so her hands are on Santana's back under her shirt. Santana's hands begin tangling themselves in Brittany's hair.

"Can I take this off?" Brittany asks as she plays with the bottom of Santana's shirt.

"Yeah" Santana nods eagerly prompting Brittany to remove her shirt right away. "You have to remove yours too though" she adds with a smirk.

"Don't worry" Brittany smirks back while pulling her shirt over her head.

They begin kissing again while slowly making their way over to the bed. Santana lies down and Brittany wastes no time in straddling her hips. Brittany notices Santana staring at her chest so she quickly loses her bra.

"Wow" Santana says in amazement before quickly regretting it out of embarrassment. She is a girl so she has seen breasts before but obviously she's never been this close to someone else's before and to say she didn't like it would be a complete lie. "Sorry…" she says shaking her head.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I mean to be honest I'd rather you said that than not saying anything because then I'd think you didn't like me shirtless and that really would be a turn off" Brittany smiles.

"I've obviously never been this close to another girl before who was topless" Santana admits.

"I get that" Brittany smiles before leaning down to press a kiss to Santana's lips. She then sits back up a little while playing with Santana's bra strap. "Can we take yours off?"

"Of course" Santana smiles. She just loved the fact that Brittany said 'we' and not 'I' because it shows her that Brittany doesn't want to do anything unless Santana is ok with it. "But I want you to do it" she adds.

"Ok" Brittany smiles while reaching behind Santana to unclasp the bra. She then gently pulls it down Santana's arms and tosses it to the floor. She stares at Santana for a second before smiling.

"What?" Santana blushes.

"Can I just say your breasts are amazing" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana laughs. She doesn't know how else to respond.

"I'm serious, they're very…shapely" Brittany replies.

"I like yours too" Santana states.

"You don't need to say that, I just wanted you to know but you really don't need to be polite" Brittany assures her.

"I'm not, I actually meant it. I mean call me weird but I'm more of a butt girl anyway so I think your breasts being a little smaller is nice. It's not too much to handle for me. They're sexy but not overpowering if you get me" Santana smiles. "And I'm not just saying that because I usually date guys who clearly don't have breasts, I'm saying that because that's how I am. If you asked me which I prefer of my own, I'd say my butt over my breasts any day."

"Damn, why are all the straight girls the nicest" Brittany groans. She's said it before but it keeps happening. The nicest people always seem to be the ones she can't have.

"I might not be straight anymore, you might convert me" Santana teases. She's getting a little more confident so she feels she can tease Brittany a little.

"That would just be too good to be true" Brittany mumbles.

"What did you say?" Santana smiles.

"I said that could be true" Brittany smiles back. She's beginning to think she's got herself into this too deep. A second ago it was meant to be fun but now she thinks she is beginning to develop something for Santana.

"I think we're talking a little too much now, don't you?" Santana smirks.

"Definitely" Brittany smiles before capturing Santana's lips in a kiss.

XXX

Brittany is kissing her way down Santana's body. Both of them are clad in only underwear and when Brittany reaches Santana's panties she begins to hook her fingers on either side of them. She looks up at Santana to make sure it's ok and once she nods she quickly slips them off Santana. She then begins kissing around Santana's navel and across to her hip bones.

As Brittany kisses down further, she gets very close to Santana's centre before quickly moving to her thighs and kissing the skin there.

"Come on Britt, don't tease me" Santana groans. "You've been kissing me for too long and I want something good to happen now."

"Is my kisses not good?" Brittany teases.

"Of course they're good, they're just not hitting the right spot anymore" Santana winks.

"I guess I should do something about it then" Brittany smirks before slowly moving position slightly. Once she is comfortable, she gently traces Santana's centre with her finger before slowly slipping inside of her.

"Uh…that feels good" Santana moans. "Oh shit" she almost screams while tightly closing her eyes together as Brittany adds another finger.

"You're so wet" Brittany smirks.

"Do you blame me?" Santana moans while gripping the sheets tightly as Brittany continues.

"I guess not" Brittany smiles. Secretly ecstatic that Santana is so turned on by her.

"Shit this is so embarrassing but I think I could come any second now" Santana states.

"No-no, not yet" Brittany says pulling her fingers out of Santana.

"What the fuck?" Santana asks while quickly looking at Brittany. "I'm not a lesbian but I'm pretty sure that's not supposed to happen right now" she groans, really frustrated that she was so close and Brittany just pulled right out.

"I'm sorry" Brittany smiles. "I wanted you to finish a different way."

"Oh…" Santana says embarrassed but all the more turned on at the thought. She swallows quickly before following Brittany's every move as Brittany adjusts her position once more.

"Can I do that?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah" Santana answers quickly, almost too quickly.

Brittany settles between Santana's legs and gently spreads them apart. She doesn't waste any more time and takes a long lick at Santana's centre. She then dips her tongue deep in Santana.

"Jesus Christ Britt" Santana shrieks in pleasure.

Brittany continues before attaching her lips to Santana's clit and begins sucking on it. Santana's hips instantly raise in time with Brittany. She stretches forward and buries her hands in Brittany's hair. Brittany goes back to licking her folds and with every sensitive spot she reaches, Santana's hold on her hair tightens.

"I'm so close Britt, I want to cum now" Santana moans.

Brittany doesn't verbally answer, instead she continues what she is doing but picking the pace up a bit. It really doesn't take long before Brittany can feel Santana's legs tighten around her a little as it builds up inside Santana. The next thing she knows, Santana is cumming right in front of her. Brittany would be lying if she said the sight in front of her didn't do anything to her because it did. Watching Santana cum like that almost made her cum.

"Oh god" Santana sighs in relief as she begins to get her breath back. "I'm sorry if I was too fast but god Brittany can you make a girl cum."

"Did you like it then?" Brittany asks.

"Like it, that felt amazing Britt" Santana smiles.

Brittany lies down next to Santana and for a second they lie in silence. Santana then breaks the silence by moving so she's now straddling Brittany.

"I probably won't be able to give you what you just gave me but I can't not do something" Santana smiles.

"Trust me, I'm super turned on already" Brittany smiles.

"Oh are you?" Santana smirks while gently running a hand down between them to cup Brittany's core. She can feel the moist heat generating from Brittany's centre. "Wow, so you are."

XXX

Brittany and Santana are lying under the covers trying to get their breath back.

"I know I probably wasn't as good as what you're used to and things were a little sloppy but you weren't faking that orgasm right?" Santana asks slightly embarrassed.

"Hell no, that was all real" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana nods in relief. She knew it wouldn't be perfect because she was slightly nervous but she didn't want to make a complete fool of herself either.

"So how do you feel?" Brittany asks.

"It might sound cliché but I swear that's the best orgasm I've ever had" Santana states. "I'm not just saying that to make you feel good, I'm saying it because I mean it."

"Usually straight girls are a bit selfish because they get what men don't give them and they like that but you actually paid attention to me which was super sweet" Brittany smiles.

"I wanted you to feel as good as I felt" Santana smiles back.

"We're still ok, right?" Brittany asks after a few minutes of silence.

"What do you mean?" Santana frowns while turning around to look at Brittany.

"Well we just had sex and it's not a normal occurrence for friends to have sex so I just want to make sure our friendship is ok" Brittany replies.

"Of course we're ok. I still want to be your friend Britt" Santana smiles.

"Ok good" Brittany nods.

"It was fun and we both agreed that's all it would be so I'm happy with everything right now" Santana admits.

"Yeah, me too" Brittany agrees. Secretly though, she's worried she's going to regret this in the morning because she's got a slight suspicion that she's developing feelings for Santana.

* * *

Brittany has just woken up in Santana's bed with Santana lying peacefully sleeping next to her. Initially she was slightly disoriented when she first awoke but then she quickly remembered what happened last night. She doesn't quite remember going to sleep but she does remember feeling slightly tired while she and Santana were chatting.

"Hey" Santana smiles while stretching slightly.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Brittany asks. She can't help but smile at how adorable Santana looks in the morning.

"No, I just woke up" Santana shrugs.

"So are we still good about last night because if we aren't then right now is going to be very embarrassing because I'm lying here stark naked" Brittany admits.

"We're still good" Santana laughs.

"On a serious note though, how do you feel about things?" Brittany asks.

"Well I must say Brittany, you really have opened my eyes. I mean yeah it was fun but I think I do actually want to explore other options. I mean yes I still feel pressured to find the one but maybe it's not meant to be as simple as I thought" Santana admits. "I assumed I'd go on a bunch of dates and eventually one of them would be it but maybe I need to think about girls too and see who not only do I find sexy but who I really connect with."

"Personally I feel that if you're connected to someone emotionally then the physical thing will go side by side. It's as if it's automatic" Brittany replies.

"Yeah I kind of agree with that. I mean I think that's what happened with us last night" Santana replies. "I mean I could never do that with a girl I didn't know right now, that'd be too much for me but because I know you then I think it was easier for me."

"That makes sense" Brittany smiles.

"I still need to get myself into gear though and get back to my plan. I need to find the one before Christmas or I've ruined my gran's wish" Santana sighs. "I mean its two weeks today until Christmas so I do need to get moving."

"Look the more pressure you put on things, the worse it is so just approach this situation calmly and think things through properly" Brittany says.

"Yeah, you're right" Santana nods.

"Anyway I should get dressed" Brittany says while slipping out of bed.

"Yeah me too" Santana agrees.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Brittany asks as they put on some clothes.

"I think I'm going to visit my grandma again" Santana replies.

"Cool" Brittany smiles.

"Hey would it be weird of me to ask you if you wanted to visit my grandma with me?" Santana asks shyly.

"Not at all, I'd love to meet her" Brittany smiles.

"Ok, awesome" Santana says happily. "We can go after lunch or even take lunch with us and eat with her. She likes it when I bring lunch and we can eat together and just talk."

"Hey why don't I make us lunch and wrap it all up and we can take it with us. I could go home and prepare some stuff. I mean that'll let me get showered and changed as well before we go" Brittany suggests.

"I'd be down with that if you don't mind preparing lunch" Santana replies.

"Not at all" Brittany smiles.

"Ok cool" Santana nods. "How about I just pick you up about 1pm?"

"That's cool. I'll call a cab right now and get home to get ready and make lunch" Brittany replies.

XXX

Brittany and Santana are walking into Santana's gran's house. She lives alone but she has been having carers going in and out 2 or 3 times a day and Santana and her family frequently visit.

"Hey gran, it's me" Santana shouts as they walk through the door.

"I'm in the living room" Alma replies.

"I brought a friend with me, I hope you don't mind" Santana says as she and Brittany walk into the room.

"That's fine sweetheart" Alma smiles.

"Hey gran, this is Brittany" Santana smiles. "And Brittany this is my gran, Alma Lopez."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs Lopez" Brittany smiles.

"You too but call me Alma, Mrs Lopez makes me feel way too old" Alma smiles.

"Ok noted" Brittany smiles back.

"So no offence Brittany but I haven't heard Santana talking about a Brittany before until quite recently. Have you been friends for long?" Alma asks.

"Not that long but it feels like a while. We met at the diner I work at, Santana came in for some coffee one day and I gave her a free cupcake and basically the rest is history" Brittany replies.

"Oh you're the cupcake girl" Alma nods remembering Santana bringing her a cupcake one day and saying it was from a friend.

"I guess I am" Brittany laughs.

"That was a very nice cake I must admit" Alma replies. "Do you bake much?"

"All the time. I want to open my own business but right now I don't have the funds for it so I'm working full time in a diner trying to save up my money" Brittany replies.

"You don't sound like you like working there" Alma points out.

"I don't but it's a job and it's money coming in so I need to stick with it for the moment" Brittany says.

"Santana is the same, she doesn't like her job either" Alma replies.

"Anyway we're not here to talk about jobs, we're here to see you and have lunch with you" Santana says changing the subject.

"Oh Santana I don't really feel like going out" Alma groans.

"That's good because we're not going out" Santana smartly remarks. "Brittany has made lunch for the three of us so we're going to sit here and eat it."

"Oh that sounds nice" Alma smiles at Brittany.

"It's nothing special but I like cooking so I thought why not" Brittany smiles.

"Anyway I put it in the kitchen so Britt do you want to give me a hand while I plate up the lunch" Santana says while standing up.

"Sure" Brittany nods.

Once everything is on plates, they carry the food through to the living room. They all sit together eating while chatting occasionally. They would talk a bit more but everyone seemed really hungry so they were too busy eating to have a proper conversation.

"You girls keep eating the lovely food but I'm full so I'm going to stop" Alma tells them.

"Are you sure I couldn't get you a cupcake with your coffee?" Santana asks.

"No I'm fine but lunch was really nice so thank you Brittany" Alma smiles.

"You're welcome" Brittany smiles back.

"If you don't mind, I'm just going to have a cigarette" Alma says while pulling one out of the packet and grabbing a match to light it.

"I do mind thank you very much" Santana says while lunging out of the chair and taking the cigarette and the packet away from Alma.

"Santana!" Alma scolds.

"Raise your voice all you want but I'm not letting you smoke right now. These are going in the kitchen and if you really must then you can have one after I leave" Santana states.

"The carers will be in after you leave so then they don't like it when I smoke in front of them either" Alma states annoyed.

"I don't care" Santana states. She hates doing it to her gran but smoking really is killing her so she's not going to sit there and watch. "Like I say these are staying in the kitchen until I leave" she says while making her way to the kitchen.

"She always does this when she visits" Alma says shaking her head.

"She is just trying to look out for you. She means well" Brittany says. "Your granddaughter is one of the best people I know so anything she does is with kindness" she smiles.

"Wait until she takes something of yours that you love and won't give it back" Alma says.

"Gran, please" Santana says while entering the room and shaking her head. "Smoking is killing you and I'm not making it up. The reason you feel so shitty all the time is because of that, I promise you."

"It will be hard to let go to begin with but you'll feel better in the long run" Brittany says.

"If you do want to get addicted to something though then make it Brittany's cupcakes. She promised me that if you liked them then she'd keep making them for you" Santana smiles.

"They were lovely but you really don't need to do that" Alma says honestly.

"Nope, if you like them I'm going to keep making them for you" Brittany smiles.

"I mean since you insist then ok" Alma smiles.

* * *

It's been a few days since Brittany and Santana last hung out because they've been so busy at work but Brittany has went over to Santana's place to visit. They're just in the kitchen making some coffee and chatting.

"Oh I meant to say I've got you a present" Brittany smiles while handing Santana a wrapped gift.

"I love presents…wait it's not a Christmas one because if it is then that's not nice to tease. I want it now not on December 25th" Santana playfully whines.

"You can open it now, calm down" Brittany laughs.

"Ok" Santana says excitedly while opening the gift.

"You're so cute when you get all excited" Brittany says while smiling over at Santana as she eagerly opens the present.

"What is this…hold on" Santana begins laughing. "Are those asses, did you really make me chocolate in the shape of little asses?"

"You're a butt girl, you said it yourself" Brittany smiles.

"That's the sweetest yet weirdest thing anyone has done for me, thank you" Santana says hugging Brittany.

"You like chocolate, you like asses and I was bored last night so here's the result" Brittany smiles.

"Honestly thanks Britt" Santana smiles.

"Technically if you were a boob girl then they could probably pass for that too" Brittany shrugs.

Once they make the coffee, they head to the living room to chat for a while. Santana ended up cracking open the chocolate and they ate that too.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow besides working obviously?" Brittany asks.

"I'm actually not working tomorrow. I swapped shifts with someone so I'm working Saturday instead" Santana replies.

"That's just weird because I'm off tomorrow because someone owed me a shift back when I worked for them last month" Brittany smiles.

"That is funny" Santana smiles back.

"So what are your plans with your day off then?" Brittany asks.

"I was thinking about going for a run in the morning. I've been slacking a bit recently because I've been so busy but I feel like I've got time to start up again" Santana replies.

"Wait, I like to run, I didn't know you went running too" Brittany smiles.

"Yeah but like I say I haven't been in a while" Santana says.

"Hey maybe I could come with you unless you like to run alone then its cool" Brittany suggests.

"No I'd love the company" Santana smiles.

"Cool, what time then?" Brittany asks.

"I usually like to go early when it's a little quieter. There's nothing worse than being out of shape and then jogging through the park breathless with a bunch of people staring at you and laughing" Santana states.

"I very much doubt you're out of shape, I mean look at you" Brittany replies causing Santana to blush slightly. "Anyway I'm good with going early."

"Cool so shall we say 6am?"

"Sounds good, do you want to run to mine and we'll leave from there or should I come here or should we meet in the middle somewhere?" Brittany asks.

"How about I come to your house and we can maybe start our route at that park near where you live and perhaps end back at your house later and I can help with your Christmas wrapping" Santana suggests.

"Sounds good" Brittany smiles.

"Is it cool if I bring my car and leave it at yours because that way I can go straight to visit my gran in the evening after we've hung out?" Santana asks.

"That's totally cool. There's plenty of room to park so just park behind my car since we know I'm not going anywhere in it" Brittany replies.

* * *

"Ooh sexy pants" Brittany says admiring Santana's outfit.

"Are they a bit much for running?" Santana asks looking down at the tight Lycra pants she's wearing.

"No I like them" Brittany smiles.

"Ok cool, so are we ready to go then?" Santana asks.

"We are so let's go. You lead the way" Brittany smiles and they leave the house.

After about an hour of running, they both seemed to have had enough so went back to Brittany's house and freshened up before changing. They then made some coffee and got started on Brittany's Christmas wrapping. Santana is just about to put some tape on a gift when her phone rings with an incoming text.

"Not me, my phone is upstairs" Brittany jokes.

"I noticed that" Santana smiles before opening the message to see who it is. "That's weird" she says frowning at her phone.

"What's wrong?" Brittany asks.

"I got a text from James. He said he got my number from Quinn and he'd like to meet up with me again" Santana replies. "What do you think he wants?"

"No idea" Brittany shakes her head.

"I should meet him shouldn't I?" Santana asks hesitantly.

"I guess so since he wants you to meet up" Brittany replies. She isn't feeling good about this anymore. _This is just fantastic_ she thinks to herself. The minute she starts to feel something for Santana, Santana's perfect guy seems to come along.

* * *

I'm sorry, I know I really suck at writing sex scenes but I wanted to try and add something for this chapter. Anyway hope the chapter was ok and you liked it. Also did anyone notice my lame attempt at a joke in the middle about the chocolate?


	5. I've messed up

Chapter 5: I've messed up!

"You should meet him if you like him" Brittany says. As much as it pains her to say it, she knows a good friend has to do the best for her friend.

"Apart from me acting like an ass, I did think we got on well" Santana admits.

"Meet up with him then" Brittany states.

"Ok, I'll text him back right now" Santana says while thinking through what she wants to say before she actually texts back. "Wait what do I say?"

"Just say you'd like to hang out and you're free…whenever you are free" Brittany replies. "You don't need to write an essay, just be casual and act chilled."

"Ok" Santana nods.

"I'll keep wrapping these presents while you do that" Brittany says and Santana nods again before finally thinking of something to text.

"Ok it's sorted, we're meeting for drinks tomorrow" Santana sighs happily. "Oh Britt, what if he's the one?" she says starting to get excited.

"Yeah he could be" Brittany smiles but it's forced. She never even thought this could happen where one of Santana's dates would text her and end up wanting to meet up again. I mean sure she knows Santana is a great person and any guy would be lucky to have her but the dates Santana went on recently all seemed to end badly.

"I'll need to figure out something nice to wear because I have to make a good impression. I can't have another disaster date like our first one because then there's no chance of James wanting to keep seeing me" Santana says.

"I'm sure it'll be ok" Brittany states.

"Will you help me?" Santana asks.

"Help you with what?" Brittany asks slightly confused.

"Will you help me get ready for the date tomorrow?" Santana asks. "I need help to pick out what to wear; what to say; what to do or what not to do."

"Um…" Brittany doesn't know if she wants to do this. It might be a bit uncomfortable for her.

"Please" Santana almost begs.

"Uh…actually I can't" Brittany smiles realising that she actually can't help.

"Oh" Santana nods sadly.

"I just remembered my manager asked if I wanted to stay on late tomorrow night and she'll show me some of the things they need to do at night when closing" Brittany replies. "It's like till checks and preparations for the morning."

"Oh that's cool" Santana smiles.

"I'm sorry I would have helped if I could" Brittany says genuinely because as much as she didn't want to do that, she probably would have gave in in the end if she was available. "It's just I wanted to know more about running the business and she said she'd show me. I mean to begin with I might start catering on my own but eventually I do want to open a shop or something."

"It's ok Brittany, it's cool" Santana says honestly.

"I'm sure you'll be ok anyway on your date. Who wouldn't want to date you?" Brittany smiles.

"Thanks" Santana says returning the smile.

"Hey maybe Claire or Quinn could help you if you're not sure" Brittany suggests.

"Yeah they might be able to, I just wasn't sure if it was too short notice and they'd have plans with their boyfriends" Santana replies.

"But yet you assumed I wouldn't be busy because I have this boring lonely life or something" Brittany teases.

"Of course not" Santana smiles. "I just never heard you mention you were busy so I just wondered whereas I haven't spoken to Quinn in a few days so I didn't know either way."

"It's ok, I'm only messing" Brittany replies.

"So how many more presents do we need to wrap?" Santana asks as she's starting to get bored.

"I've got quite a few but we can stop if you want" Brittany says.

"Sorry I was just getting really bored but I'll help you again if you want. I just needed a break right now" Santana replies.

"That's cool" Brittany smiles. "So what do you want to do now?"

"How about we just have lunch?" Santana suggests.

"That's cool" Brittany smiles. "Shall I make us something?"

"Yes please" Santana replies sweetly.

"That was your angle all along wasn't it?" Brittany laughs.

"You know me too well" Santana says laughing.

XXX

After Brittany made them lunch, they went back to wrapping the presents. Brittany figured she'd put her iPod on as they did it so it wasn't as boring as before.

"Oh we need to turn this song up, it's one of my favourite Christmas songs" Santana states.

"Ok" Brittany shrugs while turning the speakers up. Santana then begins singing along to the song and ends up drifting into her own world really going for it. Brittany can't help but smile at her.

"What?" Santana says embarrassed when she notices Brittany. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I didn't mean to stare but that was really cute. You just started singing your heart out" Brittany continues to smile.

"Sorry, sometimes I get lost in the words of a song if I'm really into it" Santana says, still embarrassed.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, like I say I thought it was cute" Brittany smiles.

"Thanks" Santana blushes slightly.

"I don't think I've ever heard you sing before but you're a really good singer" Brittany points out.

"Thanks" Santana smiles.

"I mean like a really good singer Santana. I don't mean you're just good, I mean you could really do something in music if you wanted" Brittany states.

"I did actually used to want to be a singer. I was in glee club and everything at school" Santana replies.

"So what happened, why did you go to university and study finance?" Brittany asks.

"It's one of those things, it's like a dream but probably not realistic enough. I couldn't take the risk and not go to university because then I'd have no backup plan and probably not have a career in music either. I mean I'm good but not that good" Santana states.

"I think you are Santana and I'm not just saying that" Brittany says. "You're still young you know and you've got your backup plan now so perhaps you should look into music."

"I don't have a backup plan though. I mean I have a degree and I can't even use it" Santana laughs. "I'm not even working in that area so technically I still don't have anything to fall back on if music didn't work."

"All I'm saying is, don't give up. I'm still following my dream even though it's failing miserably right now" Brittany says.

"The thing about music is that it was probably just a really good hobby. I do actually like what I did at college and I would like a career in that. I really can't see myself as an artist" Santana says.

"That's cool" Brittany smiles. "Just don't give up, no matter what it is."

"I'm not going to do that with you in my life. You're a major inspiration to me and a really good friend Britt" Santana smiles.

"Thanks" Brittany says blushing slightly.

* * *

It's Santana's 2nd date with James tonight and Brittany can't stop thinking about it. No matter how hard she tries to occupy herself with work, she just keeps thinking about Santana and how badly she has developed feelings for her. Sure she wants Santana to be happy but she just wishes she had the courage to at least be honest with Santana before she gets into something with James.

She is just wiping down the counter in the diner when Mercedes comes in.

"Hey I didn't expect to see you today, aren't you meant to be working?" Brittany smiles at her friend.

"I've switched shifts with someone so I'm just about to go into work now. I wanted to grab a quick coffee and catch up with my best friend first" Mercedes replies. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."

"Sorry about that" Brittany says feeling bad.

"I think Santana is taking up all of your time at the moment which I must say has hurt me" Mercedes teases.

"I'm sure you'll survive" Brittany smiles.

"Seriously though, we should go out some time. Have a bit of a Christmas night out, I could ask the others" Mercedes suggests. "It doesn't need to be anything fancy, just a good catch up and some dinner."

"Sounds good" Brittany nods.

"Hey do you want to invite Santana and some of her friends. It might be nice to get to know them since you and Santana are so close now" Mercedes says.

"That would be nice so I'll ask her" Brittany smiles. She'd like to get to know Santana's friends and she'd like Santana to get to know her friends too.

"So how are things with you?" Mercedes asks as Brittany pours her some coffee.

"Kinda not great to be honest" Brittany sighs.

"Oh, what's happened?" Mercedes asks concerned.

"I've fucked up Mercedes" Brittany groans. "Like majorly fucked up."

"What do you mean?" Mercedes frowns in confusion.

"I'm falling for Santana and now I think she's falling for someone else" Brittany sighs. "You know how I told you about her situation, well some guy she went on a date with last week asked her out again and she really likes him."

"Oh honey" Mercedes says while comfortingly placing her hand on Brittany's.

"I know it was stupid of me to let things develop but honestly, I can't stop thinking about Santana. No matter how hard I try to tell myself we'll only ever be friends, I just can't stop wanting to be with her" Brittany sighs.

"Honey I really do wish we could talk more but I do have to get to work but come by my place tonight. We can order a pizza or something and we'll talk" Mercedes says.

"Pizza isn't going to bring me Santana but ok" Brittany sighs again.

"I'll see you later, ok" Mercedes says while getting up from her seat.

"Yeah, see you later" Brittany smiles sadly.

XXX

Brittany and Mercedes are hanging out. The pizza has just been delivered and now they're sitting down to talk. Brittany is starting to explain her situation and what led her to develop feelings for Santana.

"We slept together" Brittany sighs.

"Ok back right up" Mercedes says shaking her head. "Um…how the hell did that happen?"

"It kinda started out as a joke but not really" Brittany starts. "I said to her one day that maybe she wasn't exploring all her options for finding the right person. Maybe she should look into the possibility of girls too since she was having such a crap time with the guys she dated."

"Ok" Mercedes nods.

"Then we ended up at a bar because I suggested Santana just looked to see if she was even possibly attracted to girls. It wasn't to get her to hook-up or anything, it was just to see if she would be into girls. Basically cut a long story short, she said she did find girls attractive but it was just too soon to really know what it meant" Brittany says. "We then went back to her place and hung out with a few more drinks then we started joking around a bit and she asked what it was like to kiss a girl so eventually we kissed just as fun but then we sort of agreed it might also be fun to have sex because neither of us had been with anyone recently and we did find each other attractive."

"Ok so Santana isn't into girls or she is?" Mercedes asks slightly confused.

"It's not as simple as that but she said if she was then she'd go for someone like me" Brittany replies.

"Ok" Mercedes nods, "so you sort of developed feelings from there?"

"Yeah kinda but it was probably a little before when we were just hanging out as friends. I mean don't get me wrong, I never wanted her to suddenly turn gay for me just because I liked her. I was ok with just being friends but our night of fun has kinda made that worse" Brittany states.

"So even though you liked her, you knew nothing would happen and were ok with friends until you slept together and your feelings got worse" Mercedes asks to clarify.

"Yeah something like that" Brittany nods.

"I think I understand where you're coming from" Mercedes says beginning to make sense of things. "So I assume Santana doesn't know you have feelings for her?"

"No definitely not" Brittany shakes her head. "I don't think I could tell her either because she's dating James now. In fact they're on a date right now as we speak."

"She's your friend though, don't you think you should be honest with her?" Mercedes asks.

"I know I should be but what if it makes her uncomfortable. What if she thinks I'm going to jump her in the night or something and doesn't want to be friends anymore" Brittany says.

"Come on Brittany, you've got lots of straight girls who are your friends and Santana seems really fond of you so I doubt she'll not want to be your friend. I mean she might be slightly awkward because it's a friend who has feelings for her but it won't be because you're a girl" Mercedes replies.

"I don't want to lose Santana as my friend though. Eventually I should be able to deal with these feelings but it'd kill me to lose her in every way" Brittany says.

"I don't know Santana but I doubt she'd be like that. She might surprise you and actually be quite understanding" Mercedes says.

"I just don't want to freak her out" Brittany sighs. "I do hate lying to her though."

* * *

It's the day after Santana's 2nd date with James and she and Brittany are hanging out at Brittany's house. Santana is helping Brittany wrap the rest of the presents they didn't get done a few days ago.

"So are you going to see James again?" Brittany asks nervously.

"I don't know, I mean I hope so but it depends if he likes me" Santana replies. "I mean last night's date certainly went better than the first one so here's hoping."

"You sound like you really like him" Brittany says sadly.

"I do Britt" Santana replies happily. "I know I was on a timeframe to find the one but with James I don't even feel like I'm forcing it."

"Well I'm happy for you" Brittany says trying her best to sound upbeat about it.

"So anyway, enough about me. What have you been up to recently?" Santana asks.

"Well I hung out with Mercedes last night and we just ordered pizza and had a bit of catch up" Brittany replies.

"Cool" Santana smiles. "I'd like to meet Mercedes sometime and your other friends."

"Funny you say that actually because we were just talking about how my friends should meet yours. Mercedes suggested we should all go out sometime and maybe get dinner" Brittany replies.

"I'd be up for that" Santana nods. "Did you guys mean before Christmas or after?"

"We were thinking before but it's really not long until Christmas so I don't know if we'd all manage at such short notice" Brittany replies.

"I mean I'm working tomorrow doing that swapped shift but I'm free in the evening and I think Quinn said she and Artie weren't busy tomorrow when I spoke to her today. I mean tomorrow might suit since it's a weekend and we're usually all off Sundays" Santana replies.

"Actually I'm free tomorrow and I'm sure Mercedes is. I couldn't quickly text the rest of my friends to see what they're up to. We could all go to dinner if everyone is free" Brittany says.

"It sounds good to me" Santana smiles. "I'll just double check with my friends to make sure tomorrow would be ok for them."

After they both texted their friends and figured out tomorrow would suit everyone, Santana called and booked at table at a nice restaurant that everyone should like. It serves a variety of different foods so they figured that was best so everyone could have what they wanted and hopefully everyone should be able to pick a dish they like.

"So are you busy Sunday morning or do you want to go out running again?" Santana asks.

"No I can do that" Brittany smiles.

"Cool" Santana smiles back. "It has to be maybe slightly later in the morning though if we'll be drinking tomorrow night. I don't think I could handle running while being so hungover."

"Yeah, me neither" Brittany laughs.

"I'm actually really excited about tomorrow night and meeting your friends. I think it'd be nice to get to know what your friends think of you" Santana smiles.

"If you think you're going to ask them to tell you embarrassing stories about me then you're greatly mistaken" Brittany states. She's joking really though.

"But I want to know everything about you, including embarrassing stories" Santana smirks.

"Hey if you do ask them then it'll be tit-for-tat and I'll ask your friends to dish the dirt on you" Brittany warns. "Every time you ask something embarrassing about me, I'll return the favour and ask your friends about you."

"I don't mind you knowing embarrassing stuff about me because you already kind of do" Santana shrugs unfazed.

"I barely know anything embarrassing about you Santana. Your definition of embarrassing must be different to mine because anything you have told me isn't all that bad" Brittany states.

"So feeling James up on the first date wasn't embarrassing?" Santana questions.

"Probably not since you had another date with him last night" Brittany replies.

"I suppose" Santana shrugs.

* * *

It's a couple of days later and Brittany is making her way over to Santana's place. They all went out with their friends last night and seemed to have a great time. Brittany's friends seemed to love Santana and Santana's friends seemed to love Brittany. They all had dinner and then Sam invited them back to his bar to all have a few drinks. Santana managed to persuade him to let them all have the drinks on the house so it was a pretty good night.

As soon as Brittany arrives at Santana's apartment she knocks a couple of times on the door before walking in. They're such good friends now that they don't even need to wait until the other answers the door before they walk in.

"Hey, it's me" Brittany shouts while closing the door. "Santana?" she shouts when she gets no response.

"I'm here, sorry" Santana states while hurriedly walking out of the bathroom.

"Ooh lala Santana lopez in a towel" Brittany smirks.

"I'm sorry, I slept in so I'm not even ready yet" Santana says while frantically running around trying to get ready. "I think all that wine last night made me sleepy because it was 11am before I knew it."

"Do you want me to do anything for you?" Brittany asks.

"No it's ok, hopefully I won't be too long but thanks" Santana smiles.

"Ok cool" Brittany nods.

"Feel free to get yourself a drink if you want while you wait" Santana says before walking to her bedroom to get changed.

"I'm fine but thank you" Brittany replies before taking a seat on the couch to wait for Santana. As soon as Santana is ready, she joins Brittany in the living room.

"Sorry about that, like I say I don't know how I slept so long" Santana states.

"It's fine, there's no rush to go out running" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana nods. "Hey what's that?" she asks while noticing Brittany has placed a bag on the table.

"I know it's perhaps a little early but I wanted to give you your Christmas present now" Brittany says and Santana instantly gets excited, "but you can't open it just now. You need to wait until Christmas day."

"Oh what" Santana groans.

"I just wanted you to have it so you could put it under your tree but please refrain from opening it" Brittany pleads. She knows how Santana can be when she gets excited about something.

"I'll try my hardest but it won't be easy" Santana states.

"Good" Brittany smiles.

"I did actually get you a present too but I haven't finished wrapping it yet" Santana says. "I'll give it to you soon though."

"There's no rush, it's ok" Brittany smiles.

"Anyway shall we go before we can't be bothered running anymore?" Santana asks.

"Yeah we should" Brittany nods. They then head out on their run.

They're about thirty minutes into their run when Brittany notices Santana has done nothing but talk about James the whole time. She doesn't mind Santana is happy but it bothers her because she knows Santana could never talk about her like that because she and Santana are only ever going to be friends. It then dawns on her that Santana mentioned James a few times last night as well.

"So you were saying last night that James is coming over tonight and then you're going out for dinner?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah he's picking me up" Santana replies.

"Cool" Brittany nods.

"What about you, do you have any plans tonight?" Santana asks.

"No not really" Brittany shakes her head.

"You're very quiet Britt, what's going on?" Santana asks.

"Nothing" Brittany smiles.

"If there's something wrong then you can tell me. I'm a good listener" Santana replies.

"Honestly I'm fine" Brittany smiles again, hoping Santana will drop the subject soon.

"Is it because I keep talking about James?" Santana asks.

"No" Brittany shakes her head.

"It is isn't it?" Santana sighs. "I'm sorry I shouldn't be going on about it when I know you're single at the moment."

"I don't mind being single right now" Brittany states.

"Yeah maybe not but you have said before that you do want to settle down soon" Santana says.

"I know but I'm not in a rush" Brittany replies.

"I know I've got James now but it doesn't mean I'm not going to help you find someone because I will. I want you to be happy too" Santana smiles.

"No that's really not necessary" Brittany shakes her head.

"No you've been so helpful to me recently so I want to return the favour" Santana tells her.

"I'm not looking for anyone just now" Brittany says.

"Ok well when you are then I'll help you" Santana says.

"Ok" Brittany sighs.

XXX

"I won't be a minute. I just need to grab a jacket" Santana says.

"That's cool, I'll just wait here" James smiles.

"Ok" Santana smiles back before leaving the room.

For some reason, Santana can't see to find the jacket she really wanted to wear so it's taking her longer to get ready because she has to decide on another one. This leaves James standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room not sure what to do. He didn't want to sit down because Santana said she wouldn't be long but he doesn't want to seem nosy and look around her apartment either. After a few minutes of waiting, he just happens to glance at the table and notices a present sitting on it so he's curious to know whether Santana is giving it to someone or receiving it. He takes a quick look at the label before frowning.

 _To the hottest girl I know_

 _Merry Christmas_

 _Britt xxx_

"Ok I'm ready" Santana says walking into the room.

"Who's Britt?" James asks while continuing to frown at the label on the present.

"She's a good friend of mine, why?" Santana asks.

"The message on your Christmas present seems a little forward, no?" James asks.

"That's just Britt" Santana smiles thinking about Brittany. "I should probably put that under the tree though before I'm tempted to open it. I've been on strict orders not to open it until Christmas."

"Well that generally is the idea with Christmas presents, they're for Christmas not before" James smiles.

"Ok smarty pants" Santana says while playfully nudging James. "But anyway, that's from Britt and she brought it round this morning before we went running."

"I see" James nods.

"I still need to finish sorting Brittany's present from me though" Santana says while placing the gift under the tree.

"Wait, Britt is Brittany?" James asks and Santana nods. "She doesn't happen to be the friend of yours that's into girls does she?" James asks.

"Yeah, why?" Santana asks not seeing the point.

"I was just wondering because the message on the label does sound kinda flirty" James states.

"I don't know if I would say flirty but Brittany and I are super close. She's practically my best friend" Santana replies.

"Isn't Quinn your best friend?" James asks.

"Technically yes but she's got Artie now so we're maybe not as close as we used to be. I mean we're still close but if I have a problem nine times out of ten I go to Britt and Quinn would go to Artie" Santana shrugs. They haven't fallen out or anything, it's just the way things have worked out and they're both happy about it.

"I know we haven't been dating long but you do talk about Brittany a lot Santana and I mean a lot" James points out. "Every second sentence is about Brittany…hell we're even talking about her now."

"I'm confused. What is your problem with Brittany?" Santana asks. "I just said we're best friends so it's no wonder I talk about her."

"Well I'm just beginning to wonder if maybe she has a crush or something on you. I mean I know you're straight so you'd never be interested in Brittany but she is gay Santana and she does sound very flirty towards you" James says.

"Ok let me stop you there" Santana shakes her head. "Does it really matter one way or another even if she did have a crush on me. I mean I'm dating you anyway so what difference does it make?" she asks. She doesn't think it really should change anything because they're friends anyway.

"It would just be a little awkward if she did, that's all" James replies.

"Awkward for who?" Santana asks. "You or me?"

"Look we're ruining our night, let's not talk about this right now. Let's just go out for dinner and have fun" James says.


	6. He's not the one for you, I am

Chapter 6: He's not the one for you, I am

"Does it really matter one way or another even if Brittany did have a crush on me. I mean I'm dating you anyway so what difference does it make?" Santana asks.

"It would just be a little awkward if she did, that's all" James replies.

"Awkward for who?" Santana asks. "You or me?"

"Look we're ruining our night, let's not talk about this right now. Let's just go out for dinner and have fun" James says.

"I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood anymore" Santana sighs shaking her head.

"Look I didn't mean any harm in what I said. I just like you Santana and I don't want anything to come between us. I want us to be open and honest from the start. I've had past relationships where it ended because we couldn't be honest with one another" James says.

"There's honest James and there's damn right rude" Santana states unamused by the situation. "Brittany is one of my closest friends and I can't have you saying bad things about her. She would never hurt anyone so for you to say something bad about her really gets to me."

"Santana I just want a relationship with you not with Brittany too so don't you think you should take some time apart" James replies.

"You've never even met Brittany so you're exaggerating right now plus Brittany won't come between us anyway because she's not like that. She knows I like you and we're dating now" Santana says.

"Can we just forget about this and go to dinner?" James asks. "I'm busy this week coming up to Christmas so I want to spend time with you."

"No James, I'm not going to just give into you or your charm. This isn't how things will work so no matter what you say or do to try and win me over tonight, it's not going to work" Santana states with finality.

"But…"

"No buts, you offended me by your comments about Brittany so I don't want to go to dinner with you anymore. I've explained why it annoyed me so let's leave it at that and you go home" Santana replies.

"Fine, be like that" James shrugs before leaving.

Santana takes a minute to compose herself and then goes and gets changed. As soon as she's done, she heads out and decides to visit her gran. She doesn't want to just cling onto James to give her gran her wish. She's decided she wants to be honest with her gran and if James is the one then fine but if he isn't then it's ok. She's not going to stay with him if he can't respect her friends. She just needs a moment to think about things but if James says something else to disrespect anyone she really cares about then she doesn't want to date him anymore.

"Santana, what are you doing here?" her gran asks as she opens the door.

"I just wanted to see you" Santana smiles.

"Come in then" Alma says while moving from the door and letting Santana in.

"Sorry I made you get up to answer the door but I forgot my keys" Santana apologises as they make their way to the kitchen.

"That's ok, I should be moving my legs a bit anyway so a little walk to the door won't do me any harm" Alma smiles.

"I wanted to talk to you about something grandma but let me make us some coffee first" Santana says while going over to the kettle and boiling it. "Do you know you really should get a coffee machine gran because all your visitors like coffee?"

"No I'd rather keep my money for other things Santana" Alma states.

"No offence but what else are you going to spend the money on now?" Santana asks.

"My grandchildren perhaps" Alma smirks.

"I don't need your money grandma" Santana smiles.

"Wouldn't you rather have it now than fight over it when I die?" Alma teases.

"Seriously grandma, I don't want your money" Santana smiles.

"Let me give you it for when you get married then" Alma says.

"Grandma can we please not talk about money right now. It's yours for you to decide but all I'm saying is you don't owe me any money" Santana says.

"I know I don't owe you it but it's nice to be able to give your children and grandchildren or possibly great-grandchildren some money" she smirks at Santana.

"Oh no, I am not having children any time soon. If you want some great-grandchildren then go to my brother. Marc is the one who is married already" Santana laughs. "Anyway the coffee is made now so let's sit down" she says motioning over to the table.

"So you want to talk?" Alma says as she sits down.

"Yeah" Santana nods, "it's about this wish of yours to see me married before you die."

"I better still be at your wedding Santana Lopez" Alma warns.

"I'd love you to be there grandma but are you sure it has to be really soon. You seem in good health at the moment, well as good health as you can be" Santana says.

"Santana, we've had this conversation before" Alma sighs.

"I know but I've made a mistake grandma" Santana shakes her head feeling bad. "When I told you I was already with someone, I was lying and now it's like a mad rush to actually make this wish happen. I want you at my wedding so bad but I can't rush into a marriage when I barely know the person. I mean I'm not single anymore but I'm definitely not ready for marriage. I did want to tell you but I was too embarrassed and I didn't want to make you upset."

"Oh Santana" Alma smiles.

"Why are you smiling, this isn't funny" Santana sighs.

"Ok I may have been hyping things up slightly. Look yes I'm not getting any younger and I'm not in the best of health but I may have exaggerated with my timing" Alma admits.

"What do you mean?" Santana asks unsure.

"I knew you were single Santana, I just wanted you to be serious and find someone soon" Alma smiles.

"Oh is that so?" Santana says slightly mad but at the end of the day she could never been that mad with her grandma.

"Of course I still want to be at your wedding and I do still want it sooner rather than later but I did make things seem a little more serious just so you'd get moving" Alma says. "You wouldn't have worked your butt off to find the one if I hadn't been so dramatic now would you?"

"Um…" Santana knows her gran is right. "I suppose you are right and it did make me get my life together a bit more."

"How about a little compensation for putting you through all that stress?" Alma says joking about the money.

"Right now with how mad I am, I wouldn't be opposed to taking everything you have" Santana teases back.

"Seriously though, I just wanted you to find that someone you're meant to be with and now you have" Alma smiles.

"Well I hope I have, it's really early days and we did sort of have a disagreement tonight" Santana sighs.

"I'm sure you'll work it out, you two are meant to be" Alma smiles.

"I hope we are" Santana says slightly worried. If they can have a fight already and have barely been dating long then it doesn't make her feel good about things right now.

"Do you know what I don't understand though?" Alma asks and Santana shakes her head. "Why you never told me Santana." She's not necessarily disappointed in Santana but more at the fact Santana couldn't come to her about it.

"Tell you what grandma?" Santana asked confused. "I mean I've just explained why I didn't want to tell you to begin with about the fact I was single."

"I'm not talking about that" Alma shakes her head.

"Then what" Santana says clearly still confused.

"That you and Brittany are a couple" Alma states as if it's obvious.

"A couple?" Santana questions. "We're a couple of girls who care about each other but we're not a couple."

"Oh pull the other one" Alma shakes her head.

"Grandma I'm not lying. Brittany and I are strictly friends" Santana states. "What could possibly give you the impression we were together?"

"For starters the way you talk about her and then we have the fact that I've already met her plus you seem to spend every day with her" Alma replies.

"We don't spend every day together" Santana says.

"What did you do last night and what were you up to this morning?" Alma asks.

"Ok fine we and all our friends went out last night and I did go running with Brittany this morning" Santana replies.

"See there we go" Alma smiles.

"It's not every day though. I mean I work most of the week" Santana points out.

"Ok it's every free day that you have that you spend together" Alma says.

"Wait a second, we're drifting from the point. Ok yes we're good friends but we sure as hell aren't a couple or in a relationship" Santana states.

"Look if you're going to marry Brittany then I'm ok with that" Alma sighs. "I just wish you could have been honest with me, you know?"

"Grandma I swear I am being honest. Brittany and I are just friends" Santana says. She's beginning to get annoyed now that her gran isn't listening to her.

"You don't have to cover it up because I do support you" Alma says honestly.

"No grandma, you have it all wrong" Santana shakes her head. "I'm with James and James is the one I'm going to marry."

"James?" Alma questions. "Who the hell is James? I've never met a James before."

"I know you haven't met him but that's because we're still dating at the moment. It's very early on but if things do work out then I'll be marrying him" Santana replies.

"No I can't give you my blessing on that. I don't know a James" Alma shakes her head.

"Wait that's why you seemed so sure we were meant to be because you thought it was Brittany" Santana says beginning to make a bit of sense of why Alma seemed so sure things would work out.

"Yes I thought it was Brittany and maybe if you open your eyes you'll see that it could still be Brittany" Alma says. "I mean she is a lesbian isn't she?"

"Yes she's a lesbian gran but it doesn't mean I need to be with her because of it. She can still have straight friends" Santana replies.

"I'm not saying you have to be with her because of that; I'm saying it because it seems like you should be together" Alma says.

"I'm straight though gran" Santana sighs.

"Look I don't know much about sexuality and what you kids wish to be called anymore but what I do know is that you and Brittany seem perfect. To me it shouldn't be about what you are, it should be about what you want" Alma replies.

"I understand what you're saying but Brittany and I are just friends so can we leave it there please" Santana says frustrated.

* * *

Brittany has just finished work and she decides to call Santana since they haven't spoken in a few days apart from a text here or there. After dialling the number, she waits a few moments before the call ends up going straight to voicemail so she leaves a message.

 _Hey it's Brittany, just wondering if you could give me a call back. Ok bye_

It's been happening a lot recently. Brittany can't seem to get a hold of Santana these days ever since James came onto the scene. It's not that she wants Santana's attention all the time, it's just she misses her friend. Christmas is less than a week away and she wanted to catch up with Santana before the end of the week when they'll be spending most of Christmas with their families.

After sitting bored for a few minutes just staring at the ceiling, hoping the phone will ring, Brittany decides to get changed and do some baking. It's the only thing she likes to do that'll keep her occupied. She's just mixing up some cake batter when she hears someone walk through the front door.

"Brittany, are you home?" she hears the person say from the hall.

"I'm here" Brittany says walking out of the kitchen. "Oh hey" she smiles as soon as she realises its Santana.

"I didn't see your parents' cars but I saw yours so I wasn't sure if you were here or with them" Santana says.

"Well I am here so come through" Brittany smiles before leading Santana to the kitchen.

"I got your voicemail but instead of calling I thought I'd just come and see you" Santana smiles.

"That's cool. I was just baking but I can stop now if you want to hang out" Brittany says.

"No keep baking, I'll just sit and watch you and then test the finished product. You know, make sure it's of quality and ok to sell to customers" Santana smirks.

"Why am I not surprised by that" Brittany laughs.

"Because you know me" Santana smiles.

"So how have you been, we haven't talked much recently?" Brittany asks as she goes back to baking.

"I'm good, I've just been really busy at work that's how I haven't hung out with you much" Santana replies. "That all changes now though" she smiles.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it" Brittany smiles back.

"I have your Christmas gift by the way but it's in the car. I didn't want to bring it in earlier in case you weren't here because I wanted to give you it personally" Santana says.

"That's cool" Brittany smiles. "So are you all set for Christmas then?"

"I am actually. I just need to deliver a few more presents and collect some stuff for the dinner nearer the end of the week but other than that I'm sorted" Santana replies.

"I'm the same. I'm getting that way though where I've been organising Christmas for so long that it's beginning to lose its effect. It's not as exciting anymore because I'm just waiting on Sunday coming you know" Brittany shrugs.

"Yeah I hear you" Santana agrees. "Hey do you and your family want to come to our Christmas party on the 23rd? My parents hold a party every year a couple of days before Christmas and all the family and friends come. It's just a way to celebrate Christmas together since Christmas day is usually a family day."

"Yeah we'd love to come" Brittany smiles.

"Good, I'll let my parents know you're all coming" Santana smiles back.

"There's a batch of cakes ready now if you want one?" Brittany says while putting the cakes on a plate. "They're still a little warm though so I haven't iced them yet."

"That's ok I like them warm anyway plus I can put my own icing on them" Santana says while walking over to the cakes eagerly.

"Look at you, you can't wait to eat one" Brittany teases.

"One? Try again honey" Santana smirks while picking up three cakes.

"Are you going to eat them all now?" Brittany asks surprised.

"You bet I am, I haven't eaten dinner yet so I'm starving" Santana states.

"Why didn't you say, I could have made you a proper meal" Brittany replies.

XXX

"Is it too weird if I asked for dating advice?" Santana asks hesitantly.

"Um…no" Brittany says unsurely. She doesn't want to be rude and not help Santana but it is getting a little awkward now whenever she thinks about James and Santana.

"Do you think it's wrong if the person you're dating gets jealous of your friend?" Santana asks.

"It depends what you mean" Brittany replies. "Like if they just miss you and want to spend more time with you then I guess not but if they just don't like the friend and see you enough then yeah I think it's wrong."

"Ok" Santana nods.

"James doesn't like me does he?" Brittany asks.

"Why would you think that?" Santana asks. She doesn't want to say yes and hurt her feelings but it is true, James does seem to have a problem with Brittany.

"It's obvious. I mean he already knows Quinn and Artie so it's not them plus you've never actually introduced me to him" Brittany replies.

"You're so important to me Brittany but James seemed perfect to begin with and now I'm confused. Everything was fine until he got some weird idea that you liked me and then he started getting weird every time I mentioned you" Santana says.

"We're friends so of course I like you" Brittany frowns.

"No he thinks you have feelings for me but I know that's rubbish because we're just good friends" Santana says. "I should break up with him shouldn't I?"

"No way, you're not ending things with him because of me. I want you to be happy Santana so if it means walking away then I'll do it" Brittany states. She hates the thought of doing that but she isn't going to make Santana choose, it's not fair.

"You would really end our friendship?" Santana asks, a mix between hurt and surprise.

"If it meant you could be with the perfect one then yes" Brittany nods. "I'd do anything for you Santana because you mean a lot to me."

"Oh" Santana nods starting to get teary.

"Why are you crying?" Brittany asks while rushing over to Santana.

"Because I don't ever want to lose you and you just said you'd be able to walk away from me. I just never realised how differently we valued our friendship" Santana replies.

"No Santana, I didn't mean it would be easy. I meant I would do it to make you happy, I didn't say I would like it" Brittany assures her.

"I don't want you to say that Brittany. I want you to be here for me no matter what" Santana states.

"But I thought I was the issue between you and James" Brittany frowns in confusion.

"You're not an issue, you're my best friend" Santana says while wiping her tears away. "I don't want to be with James if he doesn't respect you."

"I can't let you end a good relationship because of me though" Brittany replies.

"It's not a good relationship if he can't accept we're friends" Santana says. "You'll always be in my life so I need you to tell me that I'm doing the right thing by ending things."

"I can't let you end a relationship because of me though. You're going to be left with an idiot of a friend and no boyfriend whereas if he doesn't like me then I'll keep out of things so you can at least have what you have always wanted" Brittany says.

"But I don't want anything if you're not in my life Brittany" Santana says.

"Look I need to tell you something Santana" Brittany sighs after a moment. "But first I need you to know that you're better off with James in your life than me. He can be what you always wanted whereas if you break up with him for me then you'll resent me."

"I'll never resent you, never" Santana shakes her head.

"You might after what I tell you" Brittany states.

"Um…I don't think I could but I'm listening" Santana says.

"Look even if you ended things with James then the same thing is going to happen with the next guy and do you know why?" Brittany asks.

"No" Santana shakes her head.

"Because I'm an idiot and I'm always going to ruin things for you" Brittany sighs.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Santana says confused.

"I really like you Santana" Brittany states. "No matter who you are with, they'll always be able to see that and they'll hate me for it so I can't let you pick a guy over me because if you do then you'll never find the perfect one."

"That's bullshit" Santana states. "If they don't like you then I don't like them."

"Santana we're closer than any normal friends. What kind of guy would want his girlfriend hanging around someone who is closer to their girlfriend than they are?" Brittany asks.

"A good guy would want the best for his girlfriend" Santana states.

"Santana can't you see, our friendship isn't normal" Brittany says getting frustrated. "I'm trying to talk around the situation but you're not getting it."

"You really have lost me Britt" Santana shakes her head.

"He's not the one for you Santana, I am" Brittany sighs.

"I beg your pardon?" Santana asks.

"None of these guys are going to be the one for you if we continue our friendship like this" Brittany states.

"You sound like my grandma right now" Santana says shaking her head.

"What are you talking about?" Brittany asks.

"She thought we were a couple and when I assured her we weren't, she said she thought we should be together then" Santana replies.

"Look I'm not trying to push you into anything or feel something you don't want to but if it's not just me that can see this then don't you think we do need to re-evaluate things?" Brittany says.

"Brittany I admit we are really close but I don't see how we come across as anything more than friends. I mean I really like you but I see you as my friend and that's it" Santana replies.

"Tell me you didn't like that night we had together" Brittany states.

"I did like it, it was fun" Santana smiles.

"Just fun, that's it" Brittany questions and Santana nods. "You told me that's the best you've ever felt when you slept with someone so are you honestly sure it was only fun?"

"Yeah" Santana nods again. "Don't get me wrong, I loved it but it didn't make me question how I felt about you."

"I don't want to put words in your mouth or force you to like me, I just really need to be sure that all you think of me is as your friend" Brittany says.

"Yeah I just see you as my friend. Like I said before, I am open to dating girls but I don't feel anything different towards you. I mean sure I see you as a closer friend than any of my other friends but I've never thought of you in like a romantic way" Santana replies.

"Well I can't help that I have and I understand if it makes you uncomfortable" Brittany says sadly. "I don't want you to think of me as the friend that ruins your relationships because I can't help how I feel about you so if James is the one then go for it."

"I'm not uncomfortable Brittany" Santana assures her. "Are you sure we can't still be friends?"

"I want to be but I don't know if I will get over you if we are friends right now. Do you know what I mean?" Brittany says.

"Yeah I understand" Santana nods. "I didn't lead you on or anything did I because if I did then I never meant that to happen. We just really connect with one another."

"No don't worry. This was all me and had I been honest before then I might not be in this pickle now. I always knew I could never have you but it just felt like recently we were closer than ever so something inside gave me hope but I totally get it" Brittany sighs.

"I probably should go shouldn't I?" Santana asks. She doesn't want to make this situation any worse.

"Yeah, maybe you should" Brittany smiles sadly.

* * *

"You really like my granddaughter don't you?" Alma asks.

"Of course, she's like one of my best friends" Brittany smiles.

"I don't mean as a friend Brittany" Alma smiles.

"What do you mean then?" Brittany asks playing dumb.

"I think you know what I mean" Alma states.

"Ok I do know what you mean but it doesn't matter because Santana doesn't see me like that. We've had this discussion already and we've agreed to give one another space and then we'll be friends again" Brittany replies.

"I've actually spoke to Santana as well about…"

"Brittany?" Santana says surprised as she walks into the room.

"Oh, hi" Brittany says nervously. "I thought you were working today?"

"I was but I was only doing a half day. What are you doing here?" Santana says.

"Ever since you introduced me to your gran then I've been swinging by occasionally because she likes my cupcakes and I like her company" Brittany replies.

"Oh" Santana nods.

"I can go if you want because I don't want to make this awkward" Brittany says.

"Believe it or not but I don't actually want you to go" Santana says, "I really miss you."

"I really miss you to but it's going to make me feel worse seeing you because I know you'll never like me the same way" Brittany says.

"Santana is your perfect one isn't she?" Alma smiles at Brittany.

"Uh…"

"Grandma don't make her uncomfortable please" Santana rolls her eyes.

"We have established that she likes you but I just want to know if you would be her perfect one" Alma shrugs.

"Well she would be the perfect one but she doesn't want me" Brittany sighs.

"I'm sorry but it's true. I can't be the person you want me to be Brittany" Santana sighs. "I'm not saying James is the perfect one though, I'm just saying I haven't looked at you the same way as you look at me."

"I totally get that and I'm ok with that. It doesn't make it hurt less though so I just need to process things a little but you're never going to lose me Santana as long as you want me in your life" Brittany says.

"I will always want you in my life" Santana smiles.

"Santana has probably mentioned it already but my son and daughter in law are hosting a Christmas party tomorrow and we'd like to invite you and all you family Brittany" Alma says. "I know things are slightly awkward for you both at the moment but its Christmas and it would be nice if you were there."

"We will be" Brittany smiles. It might be awkward but she has really formed a bond with Alma so she wants to go for her sake.


	7. Christmas

Chapter 7: Christmas

The party at the Lopez's house is well underway now. Most of all the family and friends are here already including the Pierce's. Brittany has just finished a conversation with Alma when Santana walks over.

"So you came then?" Santana asks.

"Yeah because I really like your gran and I didn't want to be rude" Brittany says. "Plus I still care about you Santana. I know things are awkward and I never meant that to happen but I just needed to tell you the truth."

"I'm glad you came actually, it would be a shame if you didn't because it is Christmas" Santana smiles.

"Yeah it is" Brittany nods.

"Can I get you another drink?" Santana asks as she notices Brittany's glass is empty.

"No I'm going to pace myself at the moment but thank you" Brittany replies.

"So how have you been?" Santana asks hesitantly. They only saw one another yesterday during the whole awkward conversation but she feels it's polite to ask.

"Yeah I've been ok" Brittany smiles, "you?"

"Yeah I've been good too" Santana nods. "I'm still like a big kid when it comes to Christmas so I'm starting to get really excited for Sunday."

"I see" Brittany smiles.

"Anyway I just want to say something about yesterday" Santana says.

"You really don't need to say anything else Santana, honestly" Brittany assures her.

"No I do so please let me" Santana states.

"Ok" Brittany nods.

"Firstly I just want to say that I may have went a little overboard yesterday because to say I'm completely straight isn't correct. I'm sort of confused at the minute because I do still like guys but I would be lying if I said what we had was normal" Santana admits.

"Santana I didn't want you to label yourself or anything, I just wanted to know how you felt about me. I know nothing is every black and white and it's ok to be confused" Brittany replies.

"I've never felt the way I feel about you with anyone else but I can't exactly pinpoint what I'm feeling though, does that make sense?" Santana says.

"Yeah it does" Brittany nods. "Like I say though, you don't need to explain anything else because I don't want to force you into something. Just because I like you doesn't mean you have to like me too."

"I know" Santana replies. "I just want you to know though that I'm not completely shutting you down. I just can't tell you how I feel that's all."

"Look let's not talk about this right now because we don't want to complicate things anymore" Brittany says. "Let's just enjoy the party."

"Ok" Santana nods.

They stand in silence for a moment before Brittany speaks up.

"I just passed James in the way in, was he leaving already?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah, something like that" Santana nods.

"It's because of me isn't it?" Brittany asks in concern. "It's because he hates me."

"No it's definitely not you" Santana assures her. "Look I'd like to tell you that I broke things off with James but it was actually the other way around even though I was going to" she sighs.

"Wait, why?" Brittany asks confused. Who wouldn't want to date Santana?

"He felt it was getting all too much for him. He felt I rushed him into meeting my family and coming to this party since we've barely been dating two weeks" Santana replies. "Also he didn't take to kindly to me reacting the way I did when he said something about you."

"What did he say about me?" Brittany asks getting slightly angry.

"It doesn't matter now but I wasn't standing for it. I won't have anyone say things about my friends" Santana says.

"I feel the same about my friends" Brittany nods.

"Can I steal Brittany for a second please" Alma says as she approaches Brittany and Santana.

"Um, why? I'm your granddaughter not Brittany" Santana teases. "Plus you just spoke to her recently."

"I have a proposition for her" Alma replies.

"Ok so what is it?" Brittany smiles.

"My friend Joyce and I are going to a funeral next week and we wondered if you could make us some cupcakes to take with us" Alma asks.

"Oh for the wake?" Brittany asks.

"Oh no, they've got some other caterer to do that. Not a very good caterer might I add but never mind" Alma shakes her head. "No we meant for the service for the two of us. Funerals can be rather boring so we always take a flask of tea and some cookies but we were thinking it might be nice to have cupcakes instead."

"Grandma!" Santana scolds.

"Sweetheart at our age funerals are like daytrips for us" Alma replies. "They happen a lot and we like to go to catch up with our friends."

"It's still not nice to say something like that" Santana shakes her head.

"When you get to my age you'll understand" Alma states. "Anyway, Brittany would you be able to make the cupcakes for us?"

"Uh…sure" Brittany smiles.

"Good" Alma smiles back, "we'll leave you two to get back to your conversation" she says and then leaves.

"Your grandma is really funny sometimes" Brittany says.

"Yeah sometimes but it can also come across as offensive" Santana says shaking her head.

"Santana, are we ok?" Brittany asks hesitantly after a moment of silence.

"Um…I think so" Santana shrugs.

"I do need time to process things since we're in different situations right now but I'd still like to be your friend at the end of this" Brittany says.

"Yeah I don't want to lose our friendship either Britt" Santana smiles.

"Ok good" Brittany smiles back.

* * *

It's Christmas day and Brittany is sitting in the living room with the rest of her family opening their Christmas gifts. She hasn't spoken to Santana since the party two days ago so she assumed that meant Santana was giving her space which is why it surprises her when Santana texts.

 _From Santana: merry Christmas x_

 _To Santana: merry Christmas, hope you have a good day!_

 _From Santana: thanks, you too : )_

That's all they text to one another but it just makes Brittany miss Santana even more. She was hoping to kind of forget about the situation and enjoy Christmas but now she can't.

"Brittany, are you ok?" her sister asks.

"Uh, I'm fine. Why?" Brittany asks.

"You've been staring at your phone for a few minutes now and the rest of us are way ahead of you with opening our gifts" her sister replies.

"Sorry, I just got a text from someone so it distracted me" Brittany says before grabbing another present to open.

XXX

Meanwhile at the Lopez house, they've all came together to open their presents with one another. Santana and her brother are just chatting waiting on their parent's coming through to open their presents.

"So what did you get Brittany for Christmas?" Marc asks.

"A few things actually, one of which was the acceptance letter she got to enter into a cooking competition in LA to win 20,000 dollars. I figured she could use the money to set up her own business. I mean I know it'll cost a lot more than that but who wouldn't want to have 20,000 extra in the bank" Santana replies.

"So wait, how did you do that? Wouldn't Brittany need to fill out the application?" Marc asks confused.

"There were different rounds and each time a few more applicants would be cut until they were down to 10 who would all then compete to win the money" Santana says. "The first round was to submit a recipe for a cheesecake but you had to put your own spin on it so when Brittany wasn't looking one time, I swiped her tablet, printed the recipe and then sent it off. They clearly liked the recipe because I got an email back saying I was successful and made it to the next round."

"You got an email but as Brittany?" Marc asks.

"Yeah I pretended I was her but used my other email, not my main one so it didn't have my name in the address" Santana replies.

"So what did the next round entail?" Marc asks.

"Well, it involved sending in a video demonstrating a recipe and talking the viewers through it. She was making a wedding cake for a friend of her sister's last week and I thought it would be cool to video her through it but really I needed to do it for the competition" Santana says.

"Cool" Marc nods.

"Cut a long story short, she got accepted and I wrapped up the letter for her" Santana smiles.

"I was talking to grandma at the party and she said Brittany has feelings for you. Is there a possibility you like her just as much?" Marc asks hesitantly. He and his sister don't tend to share that much personal things anymore but nevertheless he's always there for her.

"Marc…I…Uh…"

"A friend wouldn't just do that Santana…well unless they wanted rid of their friend since it's in LA but still, no friend would do this. Someone more special would" Marc points out.

"I've never been as close to anyone before" Santana sighs. "I'm so confused and I don't get it Marc" she shakes her head.

"Tell me exactly how you feel and I'll tell you what I think" Marc says. "Or would you rather I told you how I felt about my wife the first time I realised I had feelings for her?"

"Yeah, I might make more sense of what I feel if I know how you felt about Joanne" Santana nods.

XXX

"So who is the present from?" Maria, Santana's mom, asks.

"Brittany" Santana smiles, eager to open her gift from Brittany.

"What is that?" Maria asks once Santana opens it.

"It's a crystallised clock. I always said the two things missing from my living room were a clock and something for the empty shelf of my entertainment unit and Brittany has basically just given me both" Santana smiles.

"It is rather nice" Maria nods. "Wait, there's a card with it."

"Oh right" Santana says while taking the card from Maria and opening it.

 _To Santana,_

 _You can always count on me_

 _Ha-ha (get it?)_

"So what else did she get you?" Maria asks noticing the bag still has a few presents in it.

"Just wait a minute mom, I need to unwrap it. You're worse than me" Santana says laughing at her mom's excitement.

Santana's next gift is a children's book. It was her favourite one when she was younger but it got ruined in a fire at her grandparent's house and she hasn't been able to find another copy of it yet. It was a limited edition and everywhere she looked didn't have it.

"Oh my god, it is Brittany" Santana says in shock.

"What's Brittany?" Maria asks in confusion.

"Look I'll be back soon but I need to quickly do something" Santana says while slipping on her coat.

"It's Christmas day, what could you possibly need to do right now?" her brother asks.

"Just something but I'll be back soon" she says before leaving.

XXX

Santana is just patiently waiting at the door after knocking on it. The nerves are really beginning to build up but she has to do this. She can't lie anymore, she needs to face the truth and talk to Brittany. After a few more minutes standing there she begins to think no one has heard the doorbell so she reaches up to ring it again when Brittany's mom answers.

"Santana, I didn't expect to see you tonight" Julia says.

"Yeah, sorry for just turning up like this" Santana apologises.

"It's ok" Julia smiles.

"Is Brittany here, I need a quick word with her?" Santana asks.

"Yeah she's in the kitchen, I'll get her for you but in the meantime come in. You'll be cold standing out there" Julia replies.

"I'm ok, I'll just wait for Brittany" Santana smiles.

"Ok" Julia nods and then goes to get Brittany. A second or two later Brittany comes to the door.

"Uh…hey" Brittany says confused.

"Hi" Santana smiles.

"Everything ok?" Brittany asks in concern.

"Can we talk for second?" Santana asks.

"Um…ok" Brittany says confused.

"Is there somewhere private we can talk?" Santana asks.

"Not really actually. All my family is here right now so we've got a busy house" Brittany says. "We could just talk over here on the porch though, as long as you're warm enough."

"Yeah that's cool" Santana smiles.

They walk over to the chairs and sit down.

"So what's up?" Brittany asks.

"Ok I'm just going to come right out and say it, you're the one Brittany. You are my perfect one that I'm going to marry" Santana admits.

"Oh…wow" Brittany says shocked. "I did not ever expect to hear you say those words."

"Neither did I but it hit me today. Everything you said, everything my grandma said, it was all true" Santana states. "I'm such an idiot for not realising it sooner and I am so sorry."

"Look let's just start from the beginning because this seems a bit sudden" Brittany says shaking her head trying to make sense of the situation.

"It hit me when I opened my Christmas presents from you that everything you and my gran said to me was true. You are the only one who knows me deep down" Santana says. "No one has ever understood me like you have Brittany."

"Ok I get that, you realised we were just so in sync with one another but that doesn't mean I'm the one" Brittany says. "I don't want you to confuse us being really close with being the one."

"No but surely if I am that emotionally connected to someone then they must be the one" Santana states.

"They might be but they might also just be a really nice friend" Brittany points out.

"Do you know what Quinn gave me for Christmas?" Santana asks and Brittany shakes her head. "She got me perfume, my favourite kind but it's still just perfume. That is a gift from a friend but what you got me was so much more than just a gift."

"I don't want to force you to say these things Santana. Three days ago you told me you weren't into me and suddenly you break up with James and I'm the one?" Brittany questions. She doesn't want to sound like an ass right now but she has to question the timing of things.

"I was always going to break up with James after he disrespected you Brittany. Ask him yourself what my reaction was like last week" Santana replies.

"Look I know we're close but are you honestly sure you want to be with me?" Brittany asks.

"I couldn't be surer now. I know it sounds quick but everything was really put into perspective this morning. I was talking to my brother as well and he was telling me how he felt the first time he saw Joanne and I noticed a correlation between us and them" Santana says. "The way he described his feelings for her was exactly how I feel about you. I didn't understand them until he said it."

"Oh" Brittany nods surprised. The more Santana talks the more she seems genuine. I mean she didn't think for one second Santana would lie about this but she wasn't sure if Santana maybe just felt rushed into things.

"I was trying to label myself before so I could make sense of who I am but the bottom line is that I don't know who I am. I mean I still like men but I really like you so since I liked men I assumed that made me straight" Santana says. "But because I like you then I'm not straight am I?"

"Santana you really don't need to put a label on yourself. I've said this many times before but you are you and no one needs to define you as anything else" Brittany says.

"I know but what I am trying to say is I was sort of blocking my feelings because I couldn't understand them so I didn't want to deal with them" Santana says.

"I understand that" Brittany nods.

"I mean I was attracted to James so I figured that was the right way to go since I liked him, he liked me and we wanted to date" Santana states. "I was attracted to you too but I put it to the back of my mind because I found James and my whole goal was to meet a man and eventually marry him."

"I get that" Brittany nods in understanding.

"I like you because you're you Brittany, I don't like you because you're a girl" Santana says.

"You don't?" Brittany teases.

"Ok that came out wrong. What I mean is that I didn't fall for you because you were a particular gender, I fell for you because we connected and you were you" Santana smiles.

"Ok" Brittany smiles.

"Look I don't expect you to welcome me with open arms right now since I have confused things a lot but I do really want you to know I am genuine and I do genuinely like you. I wouldn't be sitting here right now staring at your lips because I want to kiss you right now if I wasn't into you" Santana says.

"Oh" Brittany says blushing slightly.

"Can I kiss you?" Santana asks shyly.

"Yeah" Brittany nods.

Santana slowly leans over and gently presses her lips to Brittany. She didn't want to go in all guns blazing but the minute she felt Brittany kiss her back, she kissed a little bit harder.

"Wait a second…" Brittany says pulling away, "we're going to go off track here" she smiles.

"Yeah we should finish talking" Santana nods.

"Yeah so what happens now, where do we go from here?" Brittany asks.

"I don't know but I hope you understand what I mean and how I feel" Santana says.

"I do understand it so you don't need to worry. I'm not stupid, I know you like guys and you probably always will but that's like with me. I'm always going to like girls but I'll never like them as much as I like you" Brittany says.

"That's what I'm trying to say. I hope this doesn't end but if it ever did then I might be attracted to guys" Santana says. "I'm not planning on that happening though, I can assure you."

"Santana you don't need to keep explaining to me because I get it babe" Brittany smiles.

"Ok, good" Santana nods.

"So are we sort of like together now?" Brittany asks nervously.

"I want us to be if you'll have me" Santana smiles.

"Of course I will, I would be a fool to turn you down" Brittany smiles back. "I know things were a bit rough the last few days but we both have a chance of being happy here so why ruin that just because of the past."

"Exactly, I confused things but I know now what I want so let's not make things any worse" Santana says.

"I agree" Brittany nods. "We can take things slow, we don't need to rush this at all though" she says.

"Good because admitting things to you and my family was terrifying enough, I don't want other people to judge me right now until I'm 100% comfortable" Santana says. "I'm not ashamed of this but this is a big deal for me."

"I understand" Brittany nods.

"I really don't want to say this but it is Christmas so I'm probably going to have to leave now and go back to my family" Santana says regrettably. "I really want to spend time with you though" she sighs.

"Look why don't you and your family come here? Just bring whatever you're making and we can all celebrate Christmas together" Brittany says.

"Wait, really?" Santana asks excitedly.

"Yeah" Brittany nods.

"Would your family be ok with that?" Santana asks.

"Of course they would, everyone seemed to get on really well at the party the other night" Brittany replies.

"Ok well I'll go and tell them right now" Santana says excited.

"Wait, why don't I come with you?" Brittany asks. "I can help you get all the food packaged up."

"Ok cool" Santana smiles.

"Let me just quickly tell my parents what's happening then we can go" Brittany says and Santana nods.

XXX

Brittany and Santana have just walked into Santana's parents' house. Santana is slightly nervous that no one will want to go out since everyone is settled already and the dinner is beginning to get prepared.

"Hey sweetheart, you're back" Maria says.

"Yep and Brittany is here too" Santana smiles just as Brittany walks in behind her.

"Hmm…I wonder why Brittany is here" Alma smirks.

"We have something to ask everyone" Santana says nervously.

"Ok, what?" her dad asks.

"So um…would you all like to come to dinner at the Pierce's house?" Santana asks. "Brittany and I are sort of back on track now so she's invited everyone over" she says smiling at Brittany.

"Oh we don't want to put your parents out Brittany" Maria states.

"You wouldn't be" Brittany assures them. "We're not a big family so it'll be nice to spend Christmas all together."

"Yeah it would be nice to spend it with others too because Santana usually gets bored if it's just the six of us" Maria replies.

"Look I'm sorry but games on Christmas aren't that fun when there's barely enough people to make two teams or people who don't even want to join in" Santana says while glaring at her brother.

"Family board games aren't my thing Santana" Marc shrugs.

"Look can we please just go to Brittany's house for dinner?" Santana says, almost begging because she wants to spend Christmas with Brittany so bad.

"I'm happy to go" Maria smiles.

"Yes so am I because I'm looking forward to getting some nice dessert" Alma smiles at Brittany.

"Excuse me, what's wrong with the dessert mom and I made?" Santana asks.

"It's not really going to be up to the standard I like plus Brittany is a professional" Alma smiles.

"I wouldn't quite go that far but thank you" Brittany smiles.

"So are we all going to Brittany's place then?" Santana asks and every nods. "Good, let's get the food wrapped up and ready to go."

Once everything is ready, they head to the Pierce's. Maria goes straight to the kitchen and she and Julia work out how they'll cook everything and at what time they'll eat. Brittany and Santana sort out drinks for everyone before finding somewhere quiet to talk.

"I don't mean to be rude Britt, but you haven't said anything about the Christmas present I gave you. Are you mad at me for what I did?" Santana asks.

"Oh…um" Brittany says embarrassingly. "I haven't actually opened it yet" she admits.

"Why not?" Santana frowns, slightly offended.

"I'm sorry but I didn't expect to see you today and I thought if I opened your gift then I'd feel worse because it'd make me think of you and then that would remind me that you didn't feel the same as me" Brittany sighs. "I really didn't mean to offend you."

"It's ok, I think I get why you did it now" Santana nods. "Can you maybe open it now?"

"Of course" Brittany smiles. "Wait a second," she takes a pause, "why would I be mad. Is there going to be something in here that I don't like?"

"Just open it please" Santana smiles back.

"Ok" Brittany nods while grabbing the bag and bringing it over to them. She then begins unwrapping the gifts. As soon as she opens the acceptance letter, she stares at Santana in confusion.

"Wait, am I in this competition or do I have to do a trial?" Brittany says slightly confused.

"You're already accepted. I forged your signature and sent in videos and recipes of yours" Santana replies.

"You sneaky little…" Brittany smiles while shaking her head.

"If you win then the money could really help you in achieving your dream" Santana smiles.

"I don't know how to thank you because these are much better Christmas presents than the ones I got you" Brittany says.

"Look you don't need to thank me, just say you'll go to LA and that's good enough for me" Santana smiles.

"Wait a minute" Brittany frowns. "It's in LA" she sighs.

"Yeah I know but I actually already cleared it with your boss and she's giving you 8 weeks off to go and do it so you don't need to worry about work" Santana smiles.

"It's not that, it's us" Brittany sighs. "We're finally getting somewhere and now I'm about to leave for 2 months."

"I know LA isn't like next door but this is a great opportunity for you. This could really help you and when you think about it, 2 months is barely any time" Santana says.

"But…"

"Britt I'll be here waiting for you. I'm not going to go anywhere. As soon as you get back we'll be the same as when you left only maybe like 2 months older" Santana smiles.

"I don't know what to say" Brittany says, a mix between excited but worried.

"Say you will go and win that 20,000" Santana smiles.

"Ok, I'll go" Brittany smiles.

"Good because I know you can win this" Santana says while kissing Brittany on the head.

XXX

The dinner isn't ready yet so everyone is in the living room about to play a game to pass the time until everything is cooked.

"Ok so it's Lopez against Pierce, deal?" Santana asks.

"Deal" Brittany nods.

"Let's see which family will be victorious" Santana states getting pumped up for the game.

"It's just charades Santana, let's calm down" Maria states.

"We have to win mom" Santana assures her.

"We don't have to win Santana, you might want to but it's not necessary" Maria shakes her head.

"Ok Lopez you can go first, Santana looks like she's itching to get started" Brittany smirks.

"I am so let's do this" Santana says almost screaming.

They begin the game and the two families are about tied right now. Alma has decided to act out the next part for the Lopez team when suddenly she falls to the floor. Santana then starts shouting out different movies with lying down in the title when she realises what's going on.

"Grandma, stop playing games please" Santana says starting to get worried.

"I don't think this is a charade Santana" Maria says instantly rushing over to her mother-in-law.

"Mom can you hear me?" Mario asks frantically. "We need to call an ambulance."

"Grandma please" Santana says tearfully.


	8. I love you

Chapter 8: I love you

"Mom can you hear me?" Mario asks frantically. "We need to call an ambulance."

"Grandma please" Santana says tearfully.

The next while goes by in a blur. Everything happens so fast and the next thing Santana knows is that she's standing in the hospital with her family and Brittany waiting to hear what's going on. The doctors have been assessing Alma for a while now and everyone is beginning to get inpatient. As soon as a doctor comes out of the room, everyone rushes over.

"What's going on, is she going to be ok?" Marc asks.

"Yeah please tell me she'll be ok" Mario says worriedly.

"I'm afraid your mother has had a pulmonary embolism. We think the leg that wasn't operated on developed a blood clot and it's travelled to her lungs" the doctor tells Mario.

"Oh my" Mario says shocked.

"You can treat this though, right?" Santana asks.

"Yeah there are a few options but we'll discuss them with you all first" the doctor nods.

"Ok but is she ok for just now?" Mario asks.

"She's stable just now but we should get started right away. Why don't we go to my office and talk?" the doctor replies.

"Ok" Mario nods. Santana's parents and the doctor go back to his office to talk while the others wait in the waiting room.

"This is all because she keeps smoking" Santana shakes her head. "I keep trying to tell her to stop."

"We know but she's stubborn so she does what she wants anyway" Marc says while putting his arm around his sister.

"You heard the doctor though, this is treatable and they're going to give her the medication and therapies right away" Brittany says optimistically.

"I know but what if once she's better she continues to smoke and then we're back here again or worse, we lose her" Santana sighs.

"We'll just need to encourage her to stop and not buy her anymore cigarettes. I know it sounds mean but if that's what we have to do then we just need to do it" Marc says.

"She is going to hate us for that though" Santana sighs.

"She'll thank you in the long run though" Brittany points out.

"I don't know about that" Santana sighs again.

"Look let's just focus on the fact she is ok just now and that she is going to get the treatment she needs" Joanne says.

"I agree" Brittany nods.

XXX

After a long talk with the doctor, Santana's parents return. They fill everyone in on the treatment plan Alma will be getting and they sit with her a while.

"I think it's probably best Alma gets some rest now" the doctor says.

"Yeah we should probably go home" Maria nods. "Are you coming back to our house Santana or are you going home?"

"I'll just go back to the apartment" Santana replies.

"Yeah Joanne and I will just go home too" Marc says.

"Ok" Maria nods. "I'll talk to you tomorrow sweetheart" she says while hugging Santana.

After everyone says their goodbyes, they leave the hospital in different directions depending on where their cars are.

"Come on, I'll take you home" Brittany says while taking Santana's hand.

"Thanks" Santana smiles slightly.

They walk out to Brittany's car. The whole walk to the car and the journey to Santana's apartment is spent in silence. Brittany can see Santana would much rather just have a moment to herself than talk and she understands that so she's happy enough to just take Santana where she needs to go.

"So, we're here" Brittany says breaking the silence as she pulls up in front of Santana's apartment building.

"Claire is with her parents tonight" Santana says.

"Oh sorry, did you want to spend tonight with your parents too. I just assumed you'd want to come here but I totally forgot it was Christmas and you might be staying at your parents" Brittany says. With everything happening tonight, it completely slipped everyone's minds that it was still Christmas day and a lot of people would be with their families.

"No I'd rather be here right now. It's already a strange Christmas so it'd feel even weirder to be somewhere I haven't stayed in over a year" Santana says.

"I suppose" Brittany nods. She gets that Santana would prefer somewhere familiar to at least give her a little comfort tonight. She doesn't make the habit of staying with her parents so it would be weirder to suddenly be there tonight.

"I should head inside now" Santana says quietly. "I'm really glad you and I are somewhat sorted now but my main priority at the moment is my grandma. I still want to be with you but I can't promise anything will change any time soon after everything that happened."

"That's totally cool. I didn't expect anything different so don't worry about where we're going right now. Just know I am here for you in whatever way you need me to be and when things get better we can discuss dates and all that stuff" Brittany smiles.

"Thank you" Santana smiles.

"So…uh…goodnight I guess" Brittany says, unsure of how to leave things just now.

"Yeah, goodnight Britt" Santana smiles while unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Whatever you need, just let me know" Brittany says while taking Santana's hand.

"I will" Santana nods before leaning over to gently place a kiss to Brittany's lips.

"I was going to kiss you a minute ago but I didn't know if I should" Brittany smiles.

"It's ok, anyway I should go inside. It's getting cold" Santana says and Brittany nods. After a few minutes of silence and no movement from Santana, Brittany speaks up.

"Um…do you want me to come inside with you?" Brittany says hesitantly.

"Yes please" Santana says as her eyes begin to water. "I really don't want to be alone right now. I can't face going inside to sit by myself with just my thoughts and this torturous night running around in my head."

"Ok" Brittany nods and then they both get out of the car. "Honestly, anything you need I'm here so please just ask me."

"I didn't want to come across as this scared little girl who doesn't want to be alone right now" Santana admits. "I don't want you to think that's who I am and then that puts you off me."

"Trust me, nothing will put me off and I totally understand how you feel so please just tell me if you need something" Brittany says while putting her arm around Santana as they walk inside. "It'll make you feel worse trying to be brave when you actually need someone so I'm more than happy to help you in any way."

"Thank you" Santana sighs. As soon as they get inside Santana gets comfortable on the couch and Brittany puts a blanket over her.

"I'm going to get you something to drink, ok" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana nods. A few minutes later Brittany comes back through.

"I've made you some tea" Brittany says while bringing it through to Santana. "I know you probably would've preferred coffee but I didn't want you awake all night. It's probably better you get some sleep."

"Thanks" Santana smiles sadly while taking the cup.

"Do you want to talk about things?" Brittany asks.

"Not really" Santana shakes her head.

"That's cool" Brittany smiles. "Shall we watch a movie then maybe?"

"I don't think I could concentrate on a movie because I'll end up drifting into my own world and think about things" Santana replies.

"How about we tell each other some stories then?" Brittany suggests. "I appreciate you don't want to talk but I assumed that meant talk about tonight but how about we just tell each other things the other doesn't know?"

"I guess I could do that" Santana smiles.

"Cool, I'll start then" Brittany says while sitting down next to Santana.

"Hey come under here" Santana says while lifting the blanket up.

"Ok" Brittany smiles while shifting closer to Santana and getting under the blanket. "So, did I ever tell you about the time I got bitten by a shark?"

"You didn't tell me, oh my god" Santana says shocked. "What happened?"

"Well it was quite a few years ago so I was a lot younger and it was during a vacation. Me, my sister, my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my two cousins all went together for a week" Brittany starts. "One day the grownups thought it might be nice to take a boat ride and explore the area that way so we rented a boat, packed a lunch and basically spent the day out at sea."

"Sounds nice" Santana smiles.

"It was to begin with" Brittany nods. "Anyway a while after lunch, us kids all begged our parents to let us swim in the sea and eventually they gave in and let us do it. So basically we're just messing around seeing who can hold their breath underwater the longest or see who could dive the best off the boat when suddenly I get this pain in my side."

"Oh god" Santana says shuddering at the thought.

"Yeah, exactly" Brittany nods, "so I look down and there it was, this shark digging it's teeth into my side."

"That sounds horrific" Santana shakes her head in disbelief. "Were you really close to the boat when it happened? I mean I figured someone on the boat might have seen it if you were so they could have warned you."

"Yeah I was super close to the boat" Brittany nods.

"So what happened next?" Santana asks. "Did your parents call the emergency boat people or whoever they are or did they just get you all back onto the boat and back to the shore immediately?"

"No they just told me to stop being silly and went back to sunbathing" Brittany shrugs.

"Wait, what?" Santana asks shocked.

"Yeah it wasn't like the shark drew blood or anything" Brittany shrugs again.

"It didn't?" Santana asks really confused. If you're attacked by a shark surely it'd draw blood since it's sunk it's teeth into you.

"No because it's teeth were plastic since it was toy shark" Brittany states.

"A toy shark?" Santana questions, "are you fucking kidding me?"

"What?" Brittany asks laughing.

"You made me think you actually got bitten by a shark" Santana says while playfully hitting Brittany's arm.

"Well I did, except it was a toy one and not a real one" Brittany smiles.

"That is so not something to joke about" Santana shakes her head in fake annoyance.

"Admit it, you think it's a slight bit funny" Brittany smiles.

"I actually don't" Santana states.

"Ok well it's your turn anyway. Tell me something I don't know about you" Brittany says.

"Well I probably shouldn't be saying this since we're kinda together now but I've never actually had a proper relationship" Santana admits.

"Have you not?" Brittany asks.

"Not really. I mean sure I dated different people but it never developed into something that would last. It's partly because of how picky I would be about who I wanted to date so then when we finally began dating I probably came on too strong or tried to be someone I wasn't" Santana replies.

"You don't seem like that to me" Brittany says.

"Yeah but you and I are different, you just get me" Santana smiles. "I don't have to be anyone but myself around you."

"Yeah me too" Brittany agrees.

After talking for a while more, Brittany notices Santana is beginning to get tired so she suggests Santana goes to bed. They talk some more when Santana gets into bed and Brittany sits next to her on top of the covers.

"I think I should be going now" Brittany admits reluctantly.

"Do you have to?" Santana asks sadly.

"If I keep talking then you're never going to get to sleep" Brittany replies. "I really think you do need to sleep though because you've had a hard day so you'll be exhausted."

"I don't want to be alone though" Santana sighs.

"I know but you do really need rest Santana" Brittany says.

"Wait, why don't you stay tonight" Santana says looking straight into Brittany's eyes.

"Ok" Brittany replies quietly while nodding. "You just lie down now, ok?"

"Ok" Santana nods while getting under the covers.

"I'll be right through there on the couch if you need me" Brittany smiles before gently kissing Santana's cheek.

"No, stay _with_ me tonight" Santana states while grabbing a hold of Brittany's arm.

"Santana I…"

"I really need you tonight Brittany" Santana sighs. "I don't want to be alone."

"Ok, I'll stay" Brittany nods. They both get comfortable in bed and Brittany puts her arms around Santana. They lie silently for a moment trying to get to sleep before Santana speaks up.

"I just realised my car is still at your house since you drove us to the hospital. We're going to have to go and get it" Santana says about to get out of bed.

"Don't worry about that, we'll get it tomorrow" Brittany replies while pulling the cover back over Santana. "You're not blocking anyone so it's fine where it's parked."

"Ok" Santana nods.

"Come on, you need to try and get some sleep now. You'll be tired" Brittany says.

"I don't think I could fall asleep without replaying tonight over and over in my head. Every time my eyes close, all I can think about is my grandma lying there unconscious" Santana replies.

"Why don't you try and sleep and anytime you think about your grandma just think about how she'll be ok because she's getting help. She's in the best possible place right now" Brittany says trying to reassure Santana that it's going to be ok.

"That's easier said than done" Santana sighs.

"Hey, come here" Brittany says pulling Santana closer to her. "If you fall asleep and start replaying tonight's events then just hug me tighter. I'm not going anywhere."

"Ok" Santana smiles slightly before getting comfortable and closing her eyes. Brittany leans down to kiss Santana's head but she moves at the same time and Brittany ends up catching her lips.

"Sorry" Brittany smiles.

"It's ok" Santana smiles back.

"I was going for a quick kiss to your head but you moved before I could redirect my lips" Brittany smiles again.

"Like I say, its ok" Santana replies. "I liked it anyway" she smiles.

"Good" Brittany smiles.

"Do you know it's funny, we're supposed to have gotten together tonight but we've barely did anything that suggests we're more than friends" Santana says.

"I know but I told you earlier, we don't need to worry about that right now. Let's just focus on your grandma getting better" Brittany says.

"I know but maybe I've thought of a way to distract my thoughts" Santana smirks.

"You have?" Brittany asks confused.

"Yep" Santana nods before moving so she's straddling Brittany.

"No Santana, we can't do this tonight" Brittany says softly while shaking her head.

"Why not?" Santana asks, a mix between confusion and offence.

"Because you're too vulnerable and I'd be taking advantage of you" Brittany sighs.

"No you wouldn't because I want this" Santana states.

"You don't really though, you just said it was a distraction" Brittany points out.

"I didn't mean it quite like that because I do really want this Britt" Santana replies.

"We agreed to take things slowly because we just got together tonight" Brittany replies. "No offence but if your gran wasn't sick then we wouldn't be doing this tonight."

"But I really need you Britt" Santana says.

"Honey you have me right here, we don't need to have sex to be there for one another. Look come here" Brittany says opening her arms. Santana moves and shuffles closer to Brittany who then wraps her arms around Santana. "I'm not going to go anywhere."

"Ok" Santana sighs.

"If we're serious about being together then we're not rushing anything especially not now. I need to know you're doing it because you want to and not because you want to block out the pain. You'll regret it in the morning if you're not ready" Brittany says.

"We've had sex before" Santana states.

"I know but this is different this time" Brittany replies. "It's going to mean something now."

"Ok, fine" Santana nods.

* * *

When Brittany woke up, Santana was still sleeping soundly so she quietly got out of bed so as not to wake Santana and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Once she was done, Santana was still sleeping so she went to the kitchen and made some coffee.

"Hey" Santana says quietly while walking into the room.

"Hey, good morning" Brittany smiles while handing Santana a cup of coffee.

"Thanks" Santana smiles.

"Did you sleep ok with me snoring beside you" Brittany jokes.

"I slept fine, you?" Santana asks.

"Yeah I slept ok. I was worried about you though" Brittany admits.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worried" Santana replies honestly. "Because my gran only has me and my brother as grandchildren then we've always been really spoiled and we've always spent lots of time with her so we're really close."

"I can understand that" Brittany nods.

"We got even closer when my grandpa died. Don't get me wrong, we were close to him as well but when he died my gran really leaned on us all" Santana says. "I spent so much time with her and our relationship just grew so much more. I mean she still gets on at me at times but that's only because she wants the best for me."

"You don't have to explain Santana. I don't expect anyone to take this kind of thing well. I would probably be the same as you if someone I cared about so much got sick" Brittany admits.

"Ok" Santana nods.

"I'm here for you though, whatever you need" Brittany smiles.

"Thanks" Santana smiles back, "hey I need to also apologise about what else happened last night" she says seriously.

"You don't have to" Brittany shakes her head.

"No, I need to say I'm sorry about last night" Santana says embarrassed. "I never meant to try and throw myself onto you. I wasn't thinking right and I just needed to feel close to someone."

"Santana its ok" Brittany smiles.

"It's not though, I am so embarrassed" Santana sighs.

"Look don't be" Brittany reassures her. "Trust me I had to do everything to stop myself last night. When someone as hot as you is right there wanting me, it's not easy I can assure you."

"It wasn't appropriate though" Santana states. "The last thing I want to do is scare you off before we've even begun."

"Honestly, let's just forget about this" Brittany smiles.

"Fine, if that's what you want" Santana shrugs.

"It is, so how about I make us some breakfast" Brittany asks.

"That would be great, I could really use some food right now to give myself some energy" Santana smiles.

"Cool, I'll make us some pancakes" Brittany says before beginning to get all the ingredients she needs together.

"Do you need me to help you with anything?" Santana asks.

"No I've got it all under control" Brittany smiles.

"Would you mind if I went for a shower and got changed then?" Santana asks.

"Not at all, take as long as you need" Brittany smiles.

XXX

"These pancakes are really good" Santana smiles as they begin eating.

"I'm glad you like them" Brittany smiles back.

"I'm not usually a breakfast person but like I say, these are good" Santana states.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day honey" Brittany says. "Are you telling me you never eat anything before you go to work?"

"No I do eat but it's probably not a substantial breakfast. I usually just grab a bagel and a coffee in the morning and eat it on the ride to work" Santana shrugs.

"You should have something decent though because breakfast sets you up for the whole day just like these pancakes will give you plenty of energy to set you up for your plans today" Brittany smiles.

"Since I like your cooking so much and you want me so badly to have a decent breakfast then you'll just need to make me breakfast more often then" Santana smirks.

"Ha-ha, good one" Brittany smiles.

"Have we got a deal then?" Santana asks.

"We'll see" Brittany smiles again.

"At least you're thinking about it then, that's a plus" Santana shrugs.

"You're so cute sometimes, do you know that" Brittany smiles while taking Santana's hand across the table.

"I didn't but I guess I can take cute, as long as I'm still hot though" Santana winks.

"Definitely" Brittany replies squeezing Santana's hand.

"So uh, what's your plans for today? Do you usually spend it with family?" Santana asks.

"Usually but I think my family will be ok today, you need me more" Brittany replies.

"You don't have to do that. You spent all last night with me so you'll probably want a break from me" Santana states.

"Nonsense, I am not going anywhere" Brittany smiles.

"Thank you" Santana smiles slightly.

"Are you going to the hospital as soon as we're done here?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah, I don't want to have to wait until the afternoon. I want to make sure she's doing ok because all this waiting is getting me down. She could have deteriorated or anything and I don't even know" Santana says worriedly.

"Look, she's going to be ok. She's a strong woman and no matter what happens she has all her family around her to help her" Brittany says moving to hug Santana.

"I don't know what I'd do without you Brittany" Santana sighs as she puts her arms around Brittany to hug her back. "Will you come with me to the hospital?"

"Of course I will" Brittany replies. "I know I haven't known her long but I care about your grandma too. We bonded over a lot of things, one in particular being how much we care about you."

"That's sweet" Santana replies. "Britt…" she says, taking a moment to gather up the courage for what she's about to say.

"Yeah" Brittany asks.

"I love you" Santana mumbles into Brittany's shoulder.

"What honey? I couldn't make out what you said" Brittany says pulling away slightly so she can look Santana in the eyes.

"I said I love you Brittany" Santana states.

"You do?" Brittany asks in complete shock.

"Yeah I do, I really do" Santana smiles.

"I don't understand" Brittany frowns.

"What's not to understand?" Santana asks confused.

"We only got together last night; that just seems really fast to say that" Brittany admits.

"Yes I know but everything is pointing to it. Think about it, we must be in love" Santana smiles.

"Santana I don't know what to say right now" Brittany shakes her head.

"Look think about how close we've gotten; how we want to be together and how I've never felt this way about anyone else before" Santana states. "This surely means I love you."

"Are you sure you really love me?" Brittany asks. She doesn't want to seem like an ass right now but this is very fast, even fast for her and she's liked Santana for a lot longer.

"Of course I'm sure. I mean yes I took a long time to realise it but now that I think about it then everything that happened was because I love you. I'm closer to you than I've ever been to anyone and the way we connected right from the start clearly shows us that we're in love" Santana says.

"Honey, come on" Brittany says gently.

"Is this a problem that I love you?" Santana asks offended.

"Of course not" Brittany shakes her head.

"Ok so what the fuck is wrong?" Santana asks slightly angrily.

"Santana come on, calm down. There's no need for that language" Brittany sighs.

"I told you I love you and you want to fight right now?" Santana says.

"No I don't want to fight, I just want to understand" Brittany replies. "You mean so much to me Santana so I need to know you're not forcing this and that you actually mean it."

"Why wouldn't I mean it?" Santana asks.

"Honey 2 days ago you didn't even know you wanted to be with me and now you love me?" Brittany states. She doesn't mean to sound mean but she doesn't want Santana's emotions conflicting how she really feels.

"Yes its fast but its true" Santana sighs.

"Santana…"

"Don't you believe me?" Santana asks.

"I'm sorry but I don't" Brittany sighs. "Do you know what I think this is though?"

"No I do not" Santana sighs.

"I think you're trying to push this relationship because you're worried your gran won't make it much longer so you want her to have her wish" Brittany says.

"It's not that" Santana shakes her head.

"Well it's either that or it's that you think you love me because you're upset but it's just your emotions playing tricks on you" Brittany replies.

"It's simple Britt, I love you because I love you" Santana states.


	9. We should talk

Chapter 9: We should talk

"It's simple Britt, I love you because I love you" Santana states.

"Ok" Brittany sighs.

"Why won't you believe me?" Santana asks hurt.

"It's not that I completely don't believe you, I just want to do things right now" Brittany admits. "In the past we had fun and it didn't mean anything but this is serious now. We're not just friends messing around."

"I know and that's why I know I love you" Santana says. "Look I know we're in the middle of this right now but I really want to see my grandma."

"Of course, yeah" Brittany nods. "Hey do I have 5 minutes to run home and change first. I can just drive us to mine and I'll get changed and you can get your car back."

"Yeah that's cool" Santana replies.

Once they grab their stuff, they head out the door and head to Brittany's house. Brittany quickly goes inside to change and tell her parents what's going on while Santana gets her car turned around so they can go straight to the hospital. As soon as Brittany is ready, she jumps into Santana's car and they leave. The car journey to the hospital begins in silence so Brittany decides to try and talk to Santana about earlier.

"Santana I need to explain about earlier, I didn't mean to…"

"Not now" Santana shakes her head.

"But I…"

"No I can't think of us fighting right now when I'm about to see my grandma. I need to focus on her and keeping myself upbeat for her sake so she doesn't worry so I can't have us in the middle of a fight when I see her" Santana says.

"Ok fair enough but please know, I never meant how things came out. I never want to hurt you Santana, you have to know that" Brittany says.

"Brittany, please" Santana says almost begging.

"Sorry" Brittany nods. The remainder of the journey is spent in silence.

"That's us here" Santana sighs as she puts the car into park.

"Let's go" Brittany says squeezing Santana's hand reassuringly before getting out of the car. Santana then gets out and goes over to Brittany.

"She'll be ok, right?" Santana says as they walk into the hospital.

"Of course she will" Brittany replies squeezing Santana's hand. "She's like you, she's super strong and can overcome anything" she smiles.

"I don't know about me being strong" Santana sighs.

As soon as they get inside they head straight to Alma's room. Santana goes over and hugs her grandma while Brittany takes a seat at the side of the bed.

"Why are you crying Santana?" Alma asks.

"I'm not crying, these are just a few tears of relief. I was really worried about you" Santana says while wiping the tears away.

"I'm fine, nothing a good cigarette won't fix" Alma smiles.

"That's not even funny grandma. You won't be getting any more cigarettes ever again, I mean it" Santana scolds.

"I'm not a child Santana" Alma glares.

"No and neither am I" Santana snaps. "Seriously…" she sighs, "you can't keep smoking because it's literally killing you."

"Cigarettes are not the only way to get a blood clot Santana" Alma points out.

"I know that but in your case it's been the major contributing factor" Santana replies.

"Look can we stop talking about me just now, let's talk about you two" Alma smirks.

"What about us grandma?" Santana sighs.

"I saw the way you two were looking at each other last night" Alma smirks again. "There's something going on with you two isn't there?"

"It's early days grandma" Santana states.

"But you're together right?" Alma smiles. "Please tell me you finally came to your senses Santana Lopez" she says raising an eyebrow, her face quickly becoming serious.

"Yes we're together Alma" Brittany smiles.

"Excellent" Alma says clapping her hands. "I knew you two were perfect for one another."

XXX

After spending most of the morning at the hospital, Brittany and Santana left to give Santana's parents some time with Alma and so they could get some lunch. They're sitting in Santana's car outside of Brittany's house.

"Do you want to come in?" Brittany asks.

"I don't know, I'm not really in the mood for people" Santana admits. "No offence to your family or anything but I'm just so relieved my grandma is ok that I just want to rest now."

"Oh no one's at home right now, they're visiting some relatives since it was Christmas yesterday" Brittany replies.

"Ok, I guess I could come in then" Santana smiles.

"Cool, I'll make us some lunch too" Brittany replies and then they head inside.

Lunch was relatively quiet although there was a slight awkward atmosphere between them as they didn't really know what to say right now. It was only the two of them so it made sense that they should talk but neither seemed to be starting a conversation. Santana was mostly embarrassed now because she said those words to Brittany and she didn't reply. Brittany on the other hand regretted what she said because she didn't mean to be as outright as she was.

As soon as they finished lunch, they cleared up and went to the living room to sit for a while. Apart from muttering a few things to one another about what to watch on TV, they didn't really say anything else for about twenty minutes.

"Santana we need to talk" Brittany sighs while putting the TV to mute.

"Oh god" Santana states worriedly.

"We can't keep sitting in silence with this awkward air around us. We need to discuss what happened earlier" Brittany says.

"Yeah, I suppose" Santana says quietly while nodding.

"So…uh, where to start" Brittany says hesitantly. She doesn't want to make a mistake like earlier, she wants to handle things properly now so she has to choose the right words so she doesn't upset Santana.

"I've been too clingy recently, haven't I?" Santana says embarrassed.

"No I wouldn't say that" Brittany frowns. "You've just been upset so you've needed me."

"I get overwhelming sometimes but I don't mean it. I'm just like that and that's probably one of the reasons I'm never in a serious relationship because they all run for the hills when I get too much" Santana says.

"You're not like that, well at least I don't think you are" Brittany smiles.

"I just really like you Brittany but I just couldn't help worrying either last night because she's my grandma and she means a lot to me" Santana says.

"Santana, it's ok" Brittany says.

"Can you please hurry up and break up with me. The suspense is killing me" Santana sighs.

"Wait, what?" Brittany asks confused.

"Please don't draw this out any longer" Santana states.

"Santana I don't want to break up with you" Brittany replies. "Do you want us to break up?"

"No" Santana shakes her head.

"So why did you think I wanted that?" Brittany asks.

"Because I told you I love you and you don't believe me and because you said we need to talk as in we need to break up" Santana replies.

"No I just wanted to talk Santana, I didn't want us to break up" Brittany says. "I wanted to explain about earlier, I don't want to lose you."

"Oh" Santana says slightly surprised but relieved all the same.

"Look I handled things all wrong, I never meant to sound so harsh earlier" Brittany says genuinely. "I just didn't want you to be confused and any of us to get hurt."

"I'm not confused about this, that's what bothers me" Santana sighs.

"I'm just surprised that you said it because we really haven't been a couple yet. We've been super close friends and I've had this massive crush on you but I didn't expect you to be at that stage yet" Brittany says.

"What is so wrong with me loving you though?" Santana asks getting frustrated.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing" Brittany states.

"Then stop being an ass about it then" Santana states.

"The only reason I had a little doubt is because I know what it's like for things to mess with your head. Look I need to tell you something" Brittany says.

"Ok, I'm listening" Santana nods.

"I had to literally watch my gran die ok and that totally messed with my head. I was so vulnerable at the time and my ex took advantage of that and that's why I don't ever want to do that to you. I knew you were upset and really worried about your gran so I assumed your judgement was clouded like mines was" Brittany says. "Look I'm sorry for getting the wrong end of the stick and assuming you might handle things the way I did."

"Yes I'm worried about my gran but I still know what I'm doing now. I just needed to rest and calm down last night which I did now" Santana says.

"Ok" Brittany nods.

"Tell me more about this ex" Santana says.

"Well my gran had cancer and she was sick for a long time but she did get better but a few years later the cancer returned even worse. She only had about a year left to live and I had to watch her every day deteriorate right in front of me. It was the worst time of my life and to top it all off, I was with a manipulating bitch at the time" Brittany says. "I was so vulnerable and emotional at that time that she basically made me believe she'd be there for me and she loved me while in reality she was hooking up with her ex on the side and it was even worse because the ex was a guy. How the hell could I compete with a guy never mind try and have a normal relationship when my gran is dying right in front of me."

"Oh Brittany" Santana says putting her arm around her.

"I wasn't thinking straight, I couldn't see what she was doing to me. I believed she actually loved me and was there for me but she wasn't. She was only with me when her boyfriend screwed up or when she needed money. I mean I've never had a lot of money but when your girlfriend says she loves you and she's just lost her job then you're going to try and help her aren't you?" Brittany says.

"Yeah I can understand that" Santana nods.

"Do you know what I did after I found out about the ex?" Brittany asks looking at Santana.

"I would hope you kicked her ass to the curb" Santana states.

"No, I didn't. I took her back" Brittany replies. "I was that emotionally vulnerable and I needed somebody, anybody really and she was the only one there so I forgave her. My head was that messed up that I'd rather be with a cheating liar like her than be alone."

"Oh" Santana says surprised.

"I knew how messed up I got seeing someone I cared about lying in hospital sick so I was worried maybe you weren't thinking straight either. I just didn't want you to regret saying that to me because it is a big deal. It's not that I don't think you love me, I just wasn't sure if you were actually in love with me just yet" Brittany says.

"Honestly Britt, I've never been more sure that I love you and I'm in love with you" Santana smiles.

"Ok" Brittany smiles. "I don't know how to apologise to you though, I shouldn't have doubted you and I am so sorry."

"I think the best thing to do now is just move past this" Santana says. "Let's just forget about this right now and look forward."

"I can do that" Brittany smiles.

"Good" Santana smiles back before leaning in to kiss Brittany.

"Can I just ask though, were you really ready to have sex with me last night too?" Brittany asks.

"I mean I was but it probably wasn't right to either. I don't blame you for saying no last night because it would've been to distract me whereas that's not how I want things to go from here. You're the only girl I've ever been with and the last time we did it was just drunken fun so it's probably not ideal that we started like that either" Santana admits. "I want to do things properly with you and I want us to have a proper relationship."

"Me too so what do you say we go on a date sometime. I mean things are looking more promising with your gran and you do seem more upbeat now" Brittany says.

"I'd like that but when?" Santana asks.

"Is Claire going to be here tomorrow night?" Brittany asks.

"No she's actually going on vacation with her boyfriend tomorrow for a week. Lucky bitch doesn't need to work during the festive period" Santana laughs.

"Ok well let me come over tomorrow night and I'll cook for you" Brittany says.

"Sounds good" Santana smiles.

"I'm working tomorrow so does 7 sound ok?" Brittany asks.

"7 sounds perfect" Santana replies.

"So are we good now, are you and I ok?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah, we're good" Santana smiles.

"Good" Brittany smiles back. "Even if we weren't though, you'd be stuck with me anyway. I'm not going anywhere, I'm really sorry."

"That's absolutely ok with me" Santana smiles back.

"Good because now I can do this" Brittany says before leaning over and capturing Santana's lips in a passionate kiss.

XXX

After hanging out for a while, Brittany and Santana decided to get some air and just take a walk. They're just slowly walking through the park together hand in hand.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Brittany smiles at Santana.

"Yeah it is" Santana smiles back. "I could just spend the whole day with you and never get bored."

"Yeah me too" Brittany agrees.

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Santana asks.

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about" Brittany says stopping and pulling Santana to face her. "I know we're having a date tomorrow night but I have an idea about how we can spend tonight."

"Ok so what about it?" Santana asks curiously.

"How about I come back to the hospital with you and your family. Your gran never got to have a Christmas dinner so let's all go there and have dinner with her. I could make lots of stuff and we'll just wrap it up and hopefully it stays warm" Brittany suggests.

"That sounds like a lot of work for you, would you want to do that?" Santana asks.

"I'd do anything for you or your family" Brittany smiles.

"Ok well I'll let my parents know" Santana smiles.

"How about we just cut this walk short and go back to my house and start making dinner preparations and you can call your parents" Brittany suggests.

"Ok, sounds like a plan" Santana nods.

They make their way back to the Pierce house and Brittany gets started on cooking while Santana informs her parents. Once Santana is finished on the phone, she goes to the kitchen and helps Brittany cook the food.

"What shall I do first?" Santana asks.

"You could begin chopping some fresh vegetables for me please" Brittany replies.

"Oh come on, is there nothing more exciting to do" Santana groans. "I hate cooking at the best of times so can't you give me something interesting to do otherwise I'll be bored."

"Maybe I don't trust you with doing anything else though" Brittany teases.

"You better trust me Pierce otherwise tomorrow is cancelled" Santana states.

"Ok fine, I do trust you" Brittany replies smiling.

"Good, so what can I do?" Santana asks.

"Come and help me with what I'm doing then" Brittany says and Santana nods before going over to help her.

After all the food was made, they packaged it up and then Santana drove them to the hospital. Her parents and brother were all meeting them there. Brittany and Santana ended up getting there first so they just went straight to Alma's room to see her.

"Oh two visits in one day, aren't I lucky" Alma teases.

"You are lucky, very lucky actually" Santana states. "You could be a lot more ill right now but you're not."

"I meant with the visits Santana" Alma rolls her eyes. "Let's not get into my situation right now because we're both going to disagree."

"Grandma I don't know why…"

"Honey let's just forget about that right now" Brittany says interrupting Santana. "Let's just enjoy the food, ok?"

"Ok" Santana nods.

"What food" Alma asks slightly confused.

"Well Brittany thought since Christmas dinner was slightly ruined last night then we could all have dinner here with you and eat some nice Christmas food" Santana smiles.

"Oh that's nice" Alma smiles at Brittany.

"My mom and dad will be here soon and so will Marc I think" Santana says.

"Ok" Alma nods.

"Can I get you anything in the meantime though gran?" Santana asks.

"No thank you, I'm fine" Alma replies.

As soon as Santana's parents, brother and Joanne arrive, they get tucked into the food.

"This food all looks really good, you didn't need to make all this Brittany" Maria says.

"I wanted to plus I didn't make it all myself" she says smiling over at Santana. "I had my little happy helper here, didn't I Santana?" she teases.

"Ok I wasn't always happy in the beginning because cooking frustrates me but I am glad everyone is enjoying it just now" Santana states.

"So just a quick heads up, what did Santana make so I know to stay away from it to prevent food poisoning?" Marc teases.

"Very funny Marc" Santana says rolling her eyes. "I pretty much helped make everything actually so if you don't want anything made by me then you'll need to go without" she shrugs.

"I guess the food might be ok" Marc states while beginning to eat.

"So we didn't really get a chance to ask last night about what's going on with you two. Things seemed strained at the Christmas party but the next thing we know, the two families are all celebrating Christmas together" Maria says.

"Um…well we're dating now" Santana admits nervously before looking over at Brittany who smiles at her.

"And it's all thanks to me" Alma says smugly.

"Mom…what did you do?" Mario asks in concern.

"I just knocked some sense into your daughter, that's all" Alma shrugs.

"Mom please don't tell me you forced Santana into something because you know she doesn't like that" Mario sighs.

"Dad its ok, she didn't force me into it" I say honestly. "Grandma just saw what was going on before I did and she pointed it out to me."

"Except it wasn't actually grandma that got through to you in the end" Marc smiles.

"Ok yes you helped too Marc but I realised myself that I wanted to be with Brittany, you two just gave me a slight shove in the right direction" Santana says.

"What matters now though is that we're together and we're not thinking about the past anymore" Brittany smiles.

"Well we're happy for you both" Maria smiles.

"Thank you mom" Santana says giving her a quick hug.

After eating, they all stayed for a while and talked to Alma before the doctor came to do a quick check-up. He suggested they let Alma rest now because it had been a busy day so Brittany, Santana, Marc and Joanne all left. Mario and Maria stayed a little bit longer to make sure the check-up went ok.

Once Santana pulls up in front of Brittany's house, they sit in the car and talk for a few minutes.

"Tonight was good and I think my grandma really enjoyed the dinner and the fact we were all there tonight. It took her mind off of what was going on" Santana says.

"Yeah and she seemed really happy" Brittany points out.

"She did so let's hope this is a motivation for her to want to give up the smoking and get better" Santana says.

"Yeah I hope so" Brittany smiles.

"Anyway I'm guessing you need to go now" Santana says.

"Yeah I have work tomorrow so I should get inside" Brittany smiles over at Santana. "I'll see you at your place tomorrow night though for when I cook for you for our little date."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow" Santana smiles back before leaning in to kiss Brittany.

"Goodnight" Brittany smiles.

"Night Britt" Santana replies and then Brittany gets out of the car.


	10. I'm going to miss you

Chapter 10: I'm going to miss you

Brittany and Santana are out to dinner together. The Christmas period is over and everyone is back hard at work. This is the first time in a number of days that they've managed to hang out and actually see each other properly.

"I'm sorry I've been so busy recently that we haven't been able to hang out much but with Christmas over and everything then I'm not exactly flush with cash" Brittany admits embarrassingly.

"Britt I don't need us to spend huge amounts of cash to have fun. I would have been more than happy to stay home and watch a movie" Santana smiles.

"I know but I don't want you to get bored of me if we need to stay in all the time. I want to treat you once in a while" Brittany states.

"I will never get bored of you and as soon as you win that baking competition then you'll have all the money in the world to treat me" she smiles.

"I suppose" Brittany chuckles.

"So have you decided on what to order?" Santana asks while placing her menu down on the table.

"I think so, yeah" Brittany smiles.

"Ok good" Santana nods and then gets the waiter's attention to tell him they're ready to order. As soon as they order, they go back to catching up.

"So how are things at work? You haven't come into the diner for your morning coffee in a while" Brittany asks.

"Things as ok as can be expected. I still hate the job but its money" Santana shrugs. "The reason I haven't been in for coffee lately is because we're short staffed at the moment so I've been doing quite a bit of overtime so I haven't had time to get coffee before I start" she admits.

"If they're taking you for granted and making you work these extra shifts then just tell them you don't want to. It's not in your contract to do those hours" Brittany states.

"No it's ok, I offered to do them" Santana smiles at Brittany being protective over her. "I figured the extra money was good at the moment. I might be a little tired but hopefully it helps in the long run."

"Ok well if you ever don't want to do something then just tell them. They can't fire you for something that isn't in your contract" Brittany tells Santana.

"Thank you for caring but I'm a big girl" Santana smiles.

"I know but I still worry about you" Brittany smiles back. "Anyway, let's move on" she says and Santana nods.

"So have you started packing your things for going to LA yet?" Santana asks curiously.

"I haven't actually, I am so disorganised about it its ridiculous" Brittany replies shaking her head. "I don't suppose you're free at the weekend to help a girl out?" she asks smiling brightly at Santana.

"Seriously all you have to do is smile at me and I'll never say no" Santana laughs.

"Is that a yes then?" Brittany wonders.

"Yes I will help you pack" Santana smiles. "I'm assuming that means you aren't working the weekend?" she asks.

"Sorry, I should have told you my shifts for the week" Brittany replies. "Yeah so I'm off Saturday and Sunday this week and then it's off to LA on Monday" she smiles.

"Well before you go, I want to spend as much time with you as I can" Santana states.

"That's cool because I want to spend every free moment with you" Brittany smiles just as the food comes to the table. "Thank you" she says politely to the waiter.

"Yes thank you" Santana tells the waiter.

"Can I get you anything else?" the waiter asks.

"I'm fine, Santana?" Brittany replies.

"No this is fine thank you" Santana smiles.

"Ok well enjoy your meal ladies" the waiter replies before leaving. Brittany and Santana then start eating.

"Yeah so as I was saying, I'm free the weekend so we can definitely hang out then" Brittany tells Santana. "I'm on mostly dayshifts this week so I'll be finished for 5pm so I can either come over to your place or you can come to mine and we can cook" she smiles.

"Sounds good" Santana smiles back. "I probably won't do as much overtime in the next few days so I should be finished my work at the usual time" she says. Now that it's getting closer to Brittany leaving then she wants to spend the free time with her.

As soon as they're finished eating, they get the check. Brittany was going to treat Santana but Santana insisted they half it just now and when they've got a bit more money they can start treating each other. They're now walking out to Brittany's car since she picked Santana up for the date.

"So I would invite you back to my place but my parents are home so we won't have much privacy" Brittany tells Santana.

"Well I mean I don't know what Claire is doing tonight but at least it will be less crowded at my place if you want to stay over" Santana suggests.

"Sounds good" Brittany smiles. "Let me just quickly swing by my place to get a few things and then we can go back to yours" she says.

"If you're talking about clothes then you've got the odd thing left at my place so you can either wear those or I'll give you something to wear" Santana says. She doesn't see the point in wasting time or gas if they don't have to.

"Ok, cool" Brittany nods. They then make their way back to Santana's apartment. When they get inside, Claire is nowhere to be found so they change into something more comfortable and relax on the couch together. "Wait a minute, I do need to go back to my place" she says just realising something.

"Why what's wrong?" Santana asks confused.

"Well I'm working the early shift tomorrow at work so I need to get my uniform" Brittany replies. "I start at 6am so I don't really want to be leaving here any earlier in the morning to go back home" she states.

"Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that" Santana sighs.

"I'm going to quickly drive home but I'll be back in 10 minutes" Brittany says while putting her sneakers on.

"Wait I'll come with you" Santana says while leaping off the couch.

"No why don't you stay here and pick a movie and get some popcorn sorted and I'll just quickly go by myself" Brittany suggests.

"Are you sure?" Santana asks.

"Of course, I'll be back in 10 or so minutes" Brittany says while kissing Santana's cheek.

"Ok" Santana smiles and then Brittany leaves. She gets some popcorn out and then scrolls through the channels looking for a movie they can watch together. She then decides to grab a few pillows and a blanket from the bed so they can be more comfortable. 15 minutes later, Brittany is downstairs buzzing to get inside.

"It's me babe" Brittany tells Santana when she answers the intercom.

"Ok come on up" Santana smiles to herself, happy that Brittany is finally back. Once she presses the button Brittany gets inside and makes her way upstairs to the apartment.

"Did you miss me?" Brittany teases as she walks in the door.

"Of course" Santana says seriously.

"I was just joking because I was barely away 15 minutes but that's cute" Brittany smiles before kissing Santana.

"Does that mean you didn't miss me?" Santana asks.

"No I did" Brittany assures her.

"Good, now come on" Santana smiles while taking Brittany's hand and leading her over to the couch to sit down.

* * *

It's 5am and Brittany and Santana are lying in bed talking with their arms around one another. Brittany really needs to get up soon and get ready for her shift starting at 6am but Santana didn't want her to leave right now. She really liked having Brittany stay over last night and her being here when she woke up this morning.

"Just when I'm getting used to waking up to you in the mornings, I'm going to lose you" Santana sighs.

"You're not losing me babe, I'm just going away for a while but I'll be back before you know it" Brittany assures her.

"I really want the time to fly in so I can have you back but at the same time I know it will feel like ages. Work feels like an eternity sometimes but I get through it because I know I'll see you at the end of the night but I won't have that anymore" Santana says downheartedly.

"I know but just think about the bigger picture babe" Brittany says while giving her a reassuring squeeze. "If I win this then not only do I win the cash but I also become a better baker so that means I can finally open my own place and you and I won't have these money worries" she tells her.

"Ok" Santana sighs. It really does suck but she gets it so she knows this is for the best for Brittany.

"I need to get up now but why don't you get another hour of sleep or something because there's no need for you to be awake this early" Brittany says while kissing Santana on the head before getting out of bed.

"Ok" Santana nods while pulling the duvet up so she's a bit warmer now that Brittany has left the bed.

"I'll come back in and tell you when I'm about to leave" Brittany says before heading to the bathroom to get freshened up and changed. Once she is changed, she's got some time to spare so she decides to make herself some coffee to waken up a bit more.

"Brittany?" Santana asks while walking towards the kitchen. She was unsure if it was Brittany or if Claire actually stayed here last night. Since Brittany was wakening up early then they went to bed early last night so there was every possibility that Claire came back later in the night.

"I'm sorry, was I making too much noise" Brittany says apologetically. "I just needed some coffee to waken me up a bit" she states.

"No I just wasn't sure if it was you or if Claire made it home last night" Santana replies while going over to Brittany.

"Well sorry to disappoint but it's just me" Brittany smiles.

"Can't you just phone in sick today and we just go back to bed" Santana says while putting her arms around Brittany from behind.

"I really would love to but my shift starts really soon so that wouldn't be fair on my manager. It's way too short notice" Brittany says regrettably.

"You're too kind to other people" Santana says while tightening her hold on Brittany. "At the same time though, that's one of the many things I love about you" she smiles.

"What's your plans for tonight?" Brittany asks.

"I don't really have any except I might visit my grandma soon" Santana replies.

"Ok well call me when you're done and you can come over to my place and I'll cook dinner" Brittany says. Even though her family might be at home, it would be easier for her to cook if Santana were to come there rather than go to Santana's place.

"Ok, I will" Santana says, starting to get excited about seeing Brittany again.

"Now as much as I really love you and love having you tightly wrapped around me, I really need to leave for work now" Brittany states. "I'll text you on my break but if you're busy you don't need to text back. Just call me when you're finished work or leaving your gran's house" she says.

"Ok, I'll see you later then" Santana says while walking Brittany to the door.

"I love you" Brittany smiles before leaning in to kiss Santana.

"I love you too" Santana smiles back while handing Brittany her purse and keys. Brittany then heads off to work while Santana decides to just stay up and not bother going back to bed. She gets showered and changed before getting breakfast and then heading to work. She's a little early arriving but she doesn't care, she's just going to make a start on work and hopefully it can count as a little overtime for her.

XXX

After a long day at work for both of them and doing other things, Brittany and Santana are finally sitting down to dinner together. Brittany's family are home but they ate earlier in the evening so it's just the two of them which they are grateful about. It's starting to concern Brittany though how quiet Santana seems to be and how she has barely touched her food.

"Don't you like the food?" Brittany asks Santana.

"No I do, it's lovely" Santana smiles slightly.

"If you don't like it then I'd like you to tell me because I don't want to make a fool of myself at this competition when my food sucks. I need you to test out these recipes for me" Brittany smiles.

"Honestly the food is delicious" Santana assures Brittany.

"So what's wrong then babe, you look worried" Brittany says in concern.

"It's nothing" Santana sighs.

"It must be something if you're looking so worried" Brittany points out.

"Well it turns out that Claire is going to move in with her boyfriend as soon as our next rent payment is made" Santana replies.

"So you'll get the place to yourself?" Brittany asks and Santana nods. "Well that's good babe because you'll be able to do what you want with it now" she smiles.

"It's not good though" Santana shakes her head while sighing. "I can't afford all that rent on my own so I'm going to either need to move back with my parents or find a new roommate."

"Oh" Brittany nods. She wishes she could help but she doesn't have the money either.

"In this day and age I just don't know who I could trust so I'd need to find a roommate properly and really think it through but I don't think I have time to wait" she sighs again.

"Do you know what, I just won't go to this competition thing and I'll stay with you and help with the rent until we find you a roommate" Brittany states. She thinks it's way too soon to probably live together but she'd do anything to help Santana so if moving in for a while helps then she'll do it.

"No Brittany you are going to do this competition, it is too much of a good opportunity to miss" Santana shakes her head.

"But what about you?" Brittany asks.

"I guess I could ask my parents for a loan or maybe my brother could help me" Santana shrugs.

"Ok well please make sure you get help because I don't want you struggling on your own, especially when I'm leaving in less than a week" Brittany says. She was nervous enough about going in the first place but now it's going to be worse if she thinks Santana is struggling.

"I think I will just pluck up the courage and ask my parents" Santana sighs. It is embarrassing but at the same time she knows she shouldn't be embarrassed because her parents have always been there for her whenever she's needed it.

"Honestly you shouldn't be embarrassed about needing help" Brittany tells her. "I mean I still live with my parents and so do a few of my friends so needing help from family really isn't a big deal" she assures her.

"I suppose I could ask as in more of a loan and that way I'll pay them back as soon as I can" Santana sighs.

"Exactly because in time we'll find you a better job and then you'll have the money to give back" Brittany smiles.

"Anyway enough about me and my worries, let's just finish this meal together and spend some time with each other" Santana smiles back and Brittany nods.

* * *

Tomorrow is the day that Brittany is leaving to go to LA for 2 months to participate in the cooking competition. Santana had thought of tagging along but she didn't want to come on too strong and crowd Brittany when they haven't been together long plus she didn't think she could afford it anyway. She could afford a flight there but 8 weeks off work is not something she can do right now and to be honest her boss probably wouldn't let her go for that long.

"Santana stop it" Brittany laughs as Santana removes each item from the case that Brittany has just folded and put inside.

"I don't want you to go" Santana pouts.

"Would you rather I just stayed here with no money?" Brittany smiles.

"Of course not, I'm just going to miss you" she shrugs.

"I know and I'll miss you so much but its only 8 weeks so if we can handle this then we can handle anything thereafter" Brittany states. "This is only going to make us stronger babe" she adds.

"Yeah, you're right" Santana nods.

"So can you help me pack my suitcases properly now or do I need to punish you for holding me back?" Brittany asks.

"I will help you pack but I may still need to be punished for my bad behaviour" Santana smirks.

"Yeah you have been acting up quite a lot recently so I probably should give you a punishment" Brittany smirks back while placing the item of clothing in the case that she had in her hand before walking around the bed to Santana's side.

"Good idea" Santana smiles when Brittany wraps her arms around her waist.

"You really have been very bad Miss Lopez, very bad" Brittany states while pulling Santana as close to her as she can. "So bad in fact that I need to request that you remove your shirt because you don't deserve to be warm right now."

"Yeah I'm sure it's so I'm not warm" Santana laughs while taking her shirt off.

"I also don't think you deserve to be wearing pants either because they make your butt look too good and we can't have you looking hot right now" Brittany smirks.

"I will remove my pants but I also think you should be punished for leaving me for 8 weeks" Santana smirks while removing her pants.

"Yeah I should catch up shouldn't I?" Brittany smiles while taking her shirt off followed by her pants.

"I'm really going to miss you" Santana says sadly as she wraps her arms around Brittany's neck. The teasing can only last a minute or so because it's always going to be in the back of her mind how she won't see Brittany for 8 weeks and it makes her sad.

"I know" Brittany says placing her hands on Santana's hips while leaning in to kiss her.

"Do we have time?" Santana asks gesturing over to the bed.

"Yeah the packing can wait until later" Brittany smiles. Technically she really should pack because she's got a lot to do but she needs this time with Santana and Santana needs it too.

"Good" Santana smiles while pulling Brittany onto the bed with her. "I love you so much" she says while straddling Brittany's hips and leaning down to kiss her.

XXX

After spending most of the afternoon in bed together, they decide to get up and put their clothes back on. It's not just because Brittany's parents got back home but also because the packing won't do itself and Brittany can't afford to be running late in the morning when she has a flight to catch.

"So you think you'll manage to fly out at least one weekend to see me?" Brittany asks Santana as they start packing again. There is no time in the schedule for Brittany to fly home so it's all down to whether Santana can get time off to visit.

"I'll try my hardest but my boss is being a bitch at the moment. Honestly if I didn't need the money I would quit right now" Santana replies.

"I felt like that a few times myself but I'm just grateful I've got this opportunity now" Brittany smiles. "It's actually weird though because what do I do when I get home from the competition. Do I just go back to working at the diner like nothing happened?" she asks.

"I guess if you don't win then you might have to but whether you win or not, I think this will definitely progress your career because you'll be around professionals" Santana replies.

"It's not like I assumed I would win and get all this money but I will be ok if I don't win right?" Brittany asks. Second place doesn't get you money so she is slightly apprehensive that this could all be for nothing.

"No I definitely think no matter how far you come in the competition, it'll still be a major benefit to you. I mean don't the people who run the competition have restaurants over here?" Santana asks and Brittany nods. "Ok well maybe you could work for them for a little bit if you don't win because I guarantee they'll pay more than the diner" she points out.

"Yeah I suppose if I don't win, it still opens up doors for me in getting another job that might pay better than what I currently get" Brittany states.

"Look no matter what happens your whole family and me are so proud of you" Santana says while walking over to Brittany to hug her.

"Thank you" Brittany says gratefully.

"So what else do we need to pack?" Santana asks while going back over to the case.

"Um…" Brittany pauses for a moment looking at the list Santana made her of all the things she would need to take with her. "I still need to pack underwear and a few other bits and pieces like my phone charger" she replies.

"Ok well you get the stuff out of the drawer and I'll pack it in the case" Santana says. Brittany nods and then walks over to her underwear drawer and gets the items out and hands them to Santana. "Oh no" Santana shakes her head.

"What's wrong?" Brittany frowns in confusion.

"You're not taking these, where are all your big granny panties?" Santana asks.

"I don't really own ones like that, I'm more into the ones with less material if that makes sense" Brittany shrugs.

"These are all sexy panties though" Santana states.

"Ok…thank you" Brittany says not really understanding what's going on here.

"I don't know if I want my girlfriend away for so long wearing all this sexy stuff. I mean I trust you babe but I don't trust other people to not fancy you" Santana replies.

"Honey" Brittany laughs. "No one is going to see my panties, I can guarantee you that much so it shouldn't make a difference what they look like" she says.

"Look it's hard not being self-conscious when you know you're with a beautiful woman who could have anyone. It's especially hard when that person is away from you for 8 weeks" Santana admits. She's a reasonably confident person but she's never felt this in love with someone before so it's a little scary for her.

"You're still going to be away from me too for that time babe so it works both ways. You just need to have trust in us that's all" Brittany smiles while reaching out to take Santana's hand.

"I do trust you and I trust us as a couple, like I say I just don't trust other people" Santana states.

"Just think about it this way, everyone can look at us and admire our amazing looks but the only ones to see under the clothes is you and I" Brittany smiles. "Honestly I don't like it as much as you don't like it but we'll be fine, I just know we will."

"Ok" Santana nods.

"Now if it helps, feel free to put a pair of those panties in your pocket and take them home with you. You know just as a little souvenir and something to remember me by for 8 weeks" Brittany jokes.

"Maybe I will" Santana jokes back. As soon as they finish the packing, they go downstairs and have dinner with Brittany's family. Her parents wanted her to have dinner with them before she goes but they didn't mind Santana joining them as long as they could spend a little time with Brittany.

"So are you staying the night Santana?" Brittany's mom asks.

"If that's ok because I'd like to be here with Brittany as much as I can before she leaves" Santana replies.

"Of course it's ok" Julia smiles. "You're also more than welcome to come to the airport with us when we drop Brittany off."

"Thank you" Santana smiles. She's glad she gets to be with Brittany right up until the minute she leaves for LA.

* * *

It's the dreaded moment for Brittany and Santana now as they arrive at the airport with Brittany's parents. Brittany's all checked in so she's now waiting until the boarding call comes on. Santana wanted to be with Brittany right up until the boarding gate was open so she bought the cheapest ticket she could so they'd let her through security. Brittany's parents said goodbye to her earlier once they went as far as they could without a ticket.

"I really don't like this anymore" Santana says beginning to tear up.

"I don't either but it'll be good for both of us because if I win this then I'll be able to help you with your money worries" Brittany smiles while gently wiping the tears from Santana's cheek.

"No if you win this I want you to spend it all on you and building up your own business, I don't want you spending it on me because it wouldn't be productive" Santana states. She loves Brittany for saying she'll help but she won't make Brittany put her dreams on hold. Brittany would need all of this money to start up her own catering company.

"Can't I even just give you a little bit of it?" Brittany suggests.

"No honey I want you to keep it all and do what you've always wanted" Santana smiles.

"Ok" Brittany shrugs. They talk for a while until the announcement comes for everyone to get ready to board their flight. "I love you so much and I'll call you as much as I can ok?" Brittany says hugging Santana.

"I love you too" Santana smiles into the hug. She's going to miss Brittany like crazy but this is an amazing opportunity for her.

"Just promise me you won't get too sad all the time and you'll still try and have fun without me?" Brittany says.

"I'll try but it's going to be really hard" Santana admits.

"I know I've already said it but I love you" Brittany says while pulling Santana close and kissing her. They kiss for a little bit longer than they meant to but it is the last time they'll be able to be this close until Brittany comes back.

"I love you too" Santana says fighting back the tears.

"I need to go now" Brittany says while letting go of Santana and picking up her hand luggage. She then makes her way over to the boarding area.

"Wait" Santana says running over to Brittany and stopping her.

"Babe, I need to go" Brittany says softly. She doesn't want to leave Santana as much as Santana doesn't want her to go but she has to do this.

"Move in with me" Santana states.

"What?" Brittany asks shocked.

"Live with me permanently when you get back" Santana replies. This isn't about the rent or anything like that, she really wants them to do this because she's beginning to feel what it's like without Brittany and it's only been a minute and she doesn't want them to be apart at all after this.

"Um…" Brittany doesn't know what to say.

"Please" Santana says almost begging.

"This is the final boarding call, could all passengers please make their way to the boarding area immediately" the announcement sounds through the gate.

"I have to go" Brittany says before disappearing through the door. Santana just stands there frozen on the spot because this is the moment she has finally been dreading and now she won't see Brittany for 8 weeks.


	11. We can't continue like this

Chapter 11: We can't continue like this

Brittany has just arrived at the hotel where the competitors will be staying throughout the competition. She had a reasonably good flight so she feels refreshed and ready to get started. The only problem is that they don't actually start competing until tomorrow because tonight is all about welcoming the competitors and introducing them to each other. Brittany feels the only way to keep her mind off missing Santana is to keep busy but she can hardly keep busy if they're sitting about listening to people talk.

As soon as she gets checked into the hotel, she makes her way upstairs to her room. She puts her bags down and immediately gets her phone out to call her parents to tell them she has arrived safely. After speaking to her parents for a while, she decides to call Santana to check in with her.

"So, you got there ok then?" Santana asks.

"I did" Brittany replies.

"I miss you already" Santana admits.

"I miss you too babe but I can't really talk long because all the competitors need to meet soon" Brittany tells her.

"That's ok" Santana replies in understanding.

"How are you though?" Brittany asks concerned. "You seemed quite emotional when I left, are you doing any better?" she asks.

"I really miss you obviously but I want you to do this so I'm ok" Santana replies. She is still sad though because she knows if she had the money then she could be there with Brittany right now but because she doesn't then it annoys her. She's not going to see Brittany for 2 months so it's hard to comprehend when she's spent so much time with Brittany since they met.

"Hopefully the 8 weeks will fly in and we'll see one another soon" Brittany states.

"I really hope so" Santana nods. After talking for some time, Brittany looks at her watch and realises she should probably go now.

"I love speaking to you babe but I really should go now" Brittany tells Santana.

"Ok" Santana replies. She wants to keep talking to Brittany but she knows Brittany is busy and it is only the first day so she understands.

"I love you and I'll speak to you again as soon as I can" Brittany says.

"I love you too" Santana smiles. She knows Brittany can't see her smiling but she's happy right this second because she is so in love.

"Talk to you soon, bye" Brittany says.

"Wait, I forgot to ask. What was your answer about moving in?" Santana asks quickly so Brittany doesn't hang up right away.

"I really need to go babe, we'll talk about it soon ok" Brittany says deflecting slightly from answering. She knows she should answer right away but it's not as simple as a yes or a no right now. She was quite surprised Santana asked and it caught her off guard so they need to talk about it properly.

"Um…ok" Santana shrugs. It seems like a simple answer for her but if Brittany wants to discuss it then that's fine with her.

"Bye now" Brittany says.

"Bye" Santana replies and then they hang up.

Since she's not going to see Brittany tonight obviously then Santana decides to make herself busy and take her mind off missing her girlfriend so she starts to do some cleaning. She hates cleaning but her apartment could do with being smartened up plus it will keep her mind occupied.

Brittany meanwhile heads to her first meeting of the competition. All the contestants get introduced to the organisers of the competition and get briefed on how things will work. They'll be a challenge each day where they get the theme for the day the night before and prepare in the morning before going ahead with the challenge in the afternoon. There is a winner each day for each challenge and that is announced in the evening after they all have dinner together. The challenges are more a way for the organisers to assess their talents and give them some motivation to do well in the competition but they don't necessarily count for the overall winner. The overall winner is announced after the 8 weeks and the judges decide who wins based on who they think competed the best overall over the 8 weeks. It's not about the quantity of who won each challenge but about the quality of the food they prepare and how they handle themselves during their time there.

* * *

The first week of the competition is quite hectic for Brittany because it's a very fast paced environment so she's trying to find her feet and get used to things. She doesn't get to talk to Santana nearly as much as she would like because she's trying to stay ahead of the game and be as prepared as she can be for each of the rounds of the competition. Each night she finishes, she's already thinking about the next day and wondering how she can do better than the day before. Santana completely understands this and appreciates she's under pressure at the moment so she's happy to give Brittany time to herself when she needs it. She does obviously miss Brittany and want to talk to her but she knows if the shoe was on the other foot then she'd probably be the same.

Brittany is now into her second week of the competition and she's managing to balance her time a bit more so she's making it a priority to talk to Santana every night as much as she can. She's just got back to her hotel room after a busy day of challenges and is going to quickly shower and grab some food before calling Santana.

After showering and grabbing some food from room service, which is luckily paid by the organisers otherwise Brittany couldn't afford to stay here, she gets changed and lies in bed and calls Santana. She tries to make it as early as she can since Santana is a few hours in front time wise so she doesn't want to call when Santana is about to go to bed or is even sleeping so ends up missing her call.

As soon as Santana sees Brittany is calling her, she promptly answers the phone while jumping onto the couch so she can be more comfortable to have a nice long chat with her girlfriend who she misses so much.

"Hello" Santana answers the phone.

"Hi baby" Brittany replies.

"Oh, it's so good to hear your voice Britt" Santana replies. She could cry right now because she has gone through so many emotions recently that finally hearing Brittany's voice just overwhelms her.

"How are you?" Brittany asks.

"Missing you like crazy but other than that I'm good" Santana states. "What about you?" she asks curiously.

"I feel the same babe" Brittany agrees. "What about your gran, is she doing ok?" she asks.

"Yeah she's great at the moment" Santana tells her.

"That's good" Brittany replies.

"As much as I love my gran, I don't want to talk about her right now. I just want to talk to you and catch up with you" Santana admits. Her gran isn't far away so she knows she's ok but Brittany is miles away so she wants to check in with her and make sure she's doing ok.

"Ok babe" Brittany tells her.

"So, the competition is going ok then?" Santana asks.

"It is but it's still really pressurising. I just feel so overwhelmed with everything and so overworked" Brittany admits.

"You're getting better at the pressure this week though so that's good" Santana points out. Last week they barely even spoke and now they're speaking more this week so Brittany is coping better.

"I'm sorry that I'm not calling as much as we'd like" Brittany apologises.

"Don't be silly babe, I totally get it" Santana understands. "I know you're busy so don't worry about it. It's bound to be quite stressful at the moment so I'm not upset about us not talking that often" she assures her.

"I just need to get through these 8 weeks and we'll be back together again" Brittany says optimistically.

"Together and hopefully a lot richer" Santana jokes.

"I really don't think I'm going to win this thing" Brittany sighs. "Everyone here is so talented so this isn't going to be easy" she adds. It's not that she thought it would be straight forward but it is a lot harder than she thought it would be.

"You're amazing at what you do Brittany so you have every chance of winning" Santana tells her.

"I know I was maybe better than being stuck working in a café but now I'm on an even playing field. Everyone here is equally good, if not better than me" Brittany states. She's not being conceited and thinking that working in a diner is beneath her; she just has worked really hard to do something she's passionate about so it worries her that it might be over if she loses the competition.

"Ok but that makes working for it even better because if you do win then you know you're exceptionally talented because you beat all those people" Santana points out.

"Yes, and if I don't win then it proves I'm a loser and so not worth being in this competition" Brittany says deflated.

"That is so not true babe" Santana assures her. "You're not someone who gives up so stick in there and keep at it. It won't be easy but it will be worth it no matter what happens. I mean you never gave up on being with me and we're together now so you're strong and you can do this."

"Ok" Brittany replies. "I suppose even if I don't win then I've still achieved something to even get this far and got the experience."

"Absolutely and that can only help you for whatever the future holds. I mean if you don't win then the judges are clearly blind but also you'll have something else for your CV so you'll have the chance of getting a better job especially one that pays appropriately for someone as talented as you" Santana tells Brittany.

"Thank you for making me feel better" Brittany says honestly.

"It's no problem" Santana says. "I believe in you babe so don't be downhearted about anything because I'm positive it will all work out eventually in the end."

"Yeah, you're right" Brittany agrees. "I believe in you too babe so everything is going to work out for you as well. As soon as I'm home we're going to look into your options because you're so much better than working where you are."

"Thank you" Santana says gratefully. She really needed a boost tonight so hearing Brittany say that gave her some confidence because she is worried about her own life too because she is only just getting by at the moment.

* * *

It's week 3 of the competition and things are beginning to get a bit hard for Brittany and Santana again, however it's for different reasons this time. Brittany is still busy but her time management is a lot better so she does have time to talk to Santana a lot more but now she's made some friends so she's often got plans when she finishes each day. The contestants have each evening to themselves which is usually when Brittany and Santana talk but with Brittany so busy again, they don't talk as much again anymore. Santana didn't mind the first couple of days because she wanted Brittany to meet some friends otherwise she'd be really lonely there all by herself. Now it's almost the end of the week and Santana is getting annoyed because it's like they can't even talk for 2 minutes anymore before Brittany has to go. It's one thing to have some friends and not spend the whole time alone but it's another to be constantly that busy with friends when she has a girlfriend back home.

It's mid-afternoon just now and Brittany is hard at work on the competition when her phone rings. She really wants to ignore it and just continue what she is doing but when she realises its Santana's name flashing on the screen then she picks up.

"Hello" Brittany says as she answers the phone.

"Hi" Santana replies cheerfully.

"Sorry I can't talk now babe; today's daily challenge is about to begin so I need to prepare for it" Brittany replies regrettably.

"Ok well call me later then" Santana says.

"I will, talk to you later, Bye" Brittany says and has hung up before Santana can even say goodbye.

"Goodbye, I love you too" Santana mutters into her phone before throwing it across the bed. It's the weekend so she's just at home trying to relax since she's not working. It's proving really hard to relax though when she misses Brittany so much. It's not like she can't function without her girlfriend; it's just she'd like to hear from her from time to time.

Santana is just sitting trying to focus on the TV in her living room when there is a knock at the door. She groans since she doesn't really want to socialise right now before getting up from the couch to see who is at the door.

"Quinn, hi" Santana says as she opens the door to her best friend.

"Hey…wow what's up with you?" Quinn frowns as she notices Santana's appearance. Quinn isn't one to judge but it's not like Santana to sit in pyjamas all day or not put a brush through her hair.

"I think Brittany is going cold on me" Santana sighs as they walk into the kitchen to make some coffee.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asks concerned. Her best friend finally seemed to be happy when she met Brittany so she'd hate to see something troubling them or their relationship when they seem perfect together.

"We just never seem to talk anymore and trust me, I am trying on my end. I miss her so much and every time I call her she's busy and can't talk" Santana replies.

"I thought you girls worked through that last week and Brittany was getting less stressed with the competition" Quinn asks confused.

"No, we did" Santana nods. "The first week was stressful but I understood that and let things happen as they did and we'd talk when we could. Then the second week things got so much better so I thought things were finally ok between us but now it's the 3rd week of the competition and it's all changed again" she sighs.

"Is Brittany just getting overloaded with work and under pressure again because the competition is mounting up?" Quinn wonders.

"That would be a preferred answer to my situation but no. Brittany is just too busy having fun with her new friends to be able to even talk to her girlfriend" Santana replies as they make their way to the living room to sit down with their coffee.

"She's out there on her own, she's probably just trying to make some friends to have some company and make the time pass quicker" Quinn points out.

"Exactly what I thought so I was good with that at the beginning of the week but now it's almost a new week in the competition and she just seems to not really care about my feelings. I'm alone too and I miss her but that doesn't seem to phase her. As long as she has some friends over there she's good" Santana states.

"Have you tried talking to her about all of this and how you feel?" Quinn asks.

"Didn't you just hear what I said?" Santana asks annoyed. She doesn't mean to take things out on her best friend but she's pissed off and she can't help it. "She won't even stay on the phone for 10 seconds so she's unlikely to hear what I have to say" she adds.

"Maybe you should text it to her then" Quinn suggests. It's maybe not the best way to have a serious conversation with your girlfriend but if she doesn't stay on the line long enough then maybe she'll take time to read a text and see what Santana has got to say.

"It's too much to text so it would just confuse her. It needs to be said aloud or in person" Santana replies.

"There you go then" Quinn smiles.

"What do you mean?" Santana asks confused.

"You said in person so why don't you go and visit her?" Quinn suggests. "That way you will see each other, you can talk and you can spend some time together. If you're there then I hardly think Brittany will want to spend time with her new friends" she tells Santana.

"My vacation time is not for another while yet and I can't afford to take unpaid time off so going to visit Brittany isn't an option for me" Santana replies. She might have managed to get by missing a day or two of work if she was to go before now but now that her roommate has officially moved out then she's got two lots of rent to pay so it really can't be done now.

"Well I'm supposed to take some time off not this coming week but the next so switch with me. You can take that week off and I'll work and whenever your week off comes around then you work and I'll take it off" Quinn shrugs. That could work because either way someone was missing work anyway, it's just a different person now but Santana does feel bad. Quinn might have had plans for her vacation days so Santana doesn't want to mess up her stuff when it's her own mess to deal with.

"I don't want to mess things up for you Quinn, you've probably made plans already" Santana states.

"Honestly I want to help so if I can do this then I'm happy to" Quinn smiles.

"Thank you so much" Santana says before lunging over to hug her best friend. She is so grateful to have Quinn to do this for her.

"You just need to power through this next week and then you get to see Brittany" Quinn says trying to lift Santana's spirits. She's really never seen Santana this down or upset about something before so she hopes the little trip will be worth it.

"As long as I can get a flight" Santana replies.

"Come on, let's look right now then and get you off to see Brittany" Quinn smiles before pulling Santana's laptop towards her to look up flights. "And before you complain about price, Artie and I will chip in so don't stress about that" she adds.

"Thank you, you're the best Quinn" Santana smiles. She's getting excited now because maybe things are finally going to be ok again and she and Brittany can get back to how they were last week.

* * *

It's almost the end of week 4 of the competition now and Brittany is working as hard as ever to try and win the thing. She and Santana still haven't talked quite as much as Santana wants them too because Brittany is hanging out with her new friends a lot on her free time but Santana is putting it to the back of her mind. She is going to see Brittany soon so she's not letting things worry her because she's excited to see Brittany so is in a good mood.

It's only a few days until Santana catches her flight to see Brittany so she's doing some packing right now for her trip. She's decided to keep it a secret from Brittany so she can surprise her and maybe make it a bit romantic where she's is waiting in Brittany's hotel room for her one night. It's a Friday today and it's already hit 11pm for Santana which is actually 8pm for Brittany so Santana thought Brittany might have called by now since it's so late and Brittany knows the time difference so assumes Brittany wouldn't want to call too late. After giving it another 10 minutes, Santana calls Brittany to see how things are.

"Hey babe" Brittany answers the phone.

"Hey, how's things?" Santana asks.

"Huh?" Brittany asks. She's struggling to make out what Santana is saying right now.

"Never mind" Santana sighs. "By the way, what's all the noise in the background?" she asks, frowning in confusion.

"Sorry I'm at a bar right now with a few of the others contestants" Brittany replies. "Is it too loud for you to hear me?" she asks.

"A little bit" Santana replies.

"Why don't I call you later then when I'm back at the hotel?" Brittany suggests.

"Fine" Santana says shrugging it off even though Brittany can't see her.

"Speak to you later" Brittany says.

"Bye" Santana replies and hangs up.

She's not necessarily mad at Brittany right now but she is slightly annoyed with her. She doesn't understand why Brittany couldn't just step outside or take her phone to the bathroom so they could talk instead of having to wait until later. She's had a hard day at work and all she wants to do is talk to her girlfriend but now she has to wait until later. Instead of Brittany cheering her up and making her feel better, she's stuck in the apartment all alone with her thoughts and it makes her feel lonely. There's nothing worse for her than being stuck with her thoughts and constantly overthinking what happened at work. She was really hoping Brittany could be a distraction but unfortunately not now.

Santana's good mood has really vanished now because every time she talks to Brittany these days, she feels further and further apart from her. She knows she should keep upbeat since she's seeing Brittany soon but Brittany constantly being busy is stopping her from doing that. She's also not terribly happy that Brittany said she would call later when it's already late for Santana right now. She knows Brittany knows the time difference so it's frustrating because now it'll likely be 3am or something when Brittany gets back to the hotel and calls her.

Just like Santana thought, it hits 3am and she's half asleep on the couch when her phone rings. As soon as she hears it ring, she jolts awake and gathers herself together before quickly answering since it is indeed Brittany calling.

"Hey honey" Santana says cheerfully, happy to finally talk to her girlfriend even though she's a bit pissed. I mean Brittany did keep her promise of calling back so it clearly means something so she's feeling good about that.

"Hi b-baby" Brittany says drunkenly.

"Are you drunk right now?" Santana asks annoyed.

"Not drunk, just a little tipsy" Brittany says as if it's not a big deal.

"So, you can have a conversation then and aren't going to slur your way through a discussion?" Santana asks.

"I can talk" Brittany replies.

"Good because I really miss you babe and I really fucking wanted to talk to you tonight" Santana replies.

"You're sexy when you swear honey" Brittany says smiling.

"I'm glad that's the part of the sentence you heard and not the part where I miss you" Santana states. She was hoping for something like, 'I miss you too and wish you were here' but she supposes that is too much to ask.

"You sound a little pissed babe" Brittany points out. "Is this because I'm calling so late because I know it's 3am over there. I mean I only called because I said I would but I didn't know how happy you would be given how late it is…or early, whatever way you're looking at it" she says.

"I am pissed but it's not because of that" Santana tells her.

"So why are you so hormonal baby. You're not on your period or something are you?" Brittany replies.

"I cannot believe you just asked me that" Santana says annoyed while shaking her head. Brittany is a woman too so surely, she wouldn't like Santana saying that to her whenever something was wrong. "Also, just because someone is pissed does not automatically make them hormonal, it could just mean they are pissed about something."

"Why are you pissed then?" Brittany queries.

"Because we never talk Brittany and I want to talk to you. Is that so much to ask?" Santana states.

"Of course, not and I want to talk to you too" Brittany says, realising it's a little serious now. "I just can't drop everything though to talk all the time. My only free time is in the evenings and I don't want to spend it moping around pining after you so I make myself busy with my friends. Would you rather I lay in bed all night waiting on us talking?" she asks.

"Of course, not but you could at least clear one night for me" Santana sighs.

"Do you know how hard it is to be away from everyone?" Brittany asks. "I know you miss me as much as I miss you but you just need to walk down the street and see a friendly face since Quinn lives nearby or take a short car ride to your parents house. I walk down the street and see no one I know and I take a car ride and still find no one so I'm sorry for making some friends here to take my mind off things."

"Please don't make me look like the bad guy here because it's not as simple as that Brittany. If you have time to go out with friends then you have time to leave 10 minutes earlier to call me or answer my texts" Santana states. She's not asking Brittany to sit around all night and wait for one of them to call, she just wants a little bit more effort than what she's getting.

"Look it's late for both of us now so let's not argue. Let's get some sleep and talk tomorrow" Brittany suggests.

"Will that really happen Brittany?" Santana questions.

"Excuse me?" Brittany asks.

"Will we really talk tomorrow or will you be too busy?" Santana asks.

"Do you know what, goodnight Santana" Brittany says before hanging up. She's not in the mood for fighting right now.

"Yeah, whatever" Santana says aloud before angrily throwing her phone across the room.

* * *

It's a few days later now and Santana is finally at the hotel and seated in Brittany's room waiting on her. She nearly wasn't able to get into Brittany's room because obviously the hotel staff are not going to be as lax as that so they're not going to just let random women into hotel rooms that are already occupied. She's just lucky enough that Brittany had named a Santana Lopez as an emergency contact and that Santana had some ID on her to prove she and Brittany know each other well.

Even though things were left in a weird place with them the other night, nothing was going to stop Santana going to see Brittany because at the end of the day they're a couple and couples fight. They love each other and that means something so she wants to see Brittany regardless of how things ended the other day.

Brittany has just finished for the day and is heading to her hotel room after eating with the rest of the contestants. She didn't make any plans tonight so she was going to call Santana to talk. However, as soon as she walks into the room she realises she doesn't need to call Santana.

"Oh my god, you're here right now" Brittany says in shock as Santana moves from her position lying on the bed.

"Hi I'm Santana Lopez" Santana says while holding her hand out to Brittany.

"Uh…hi" Brittany says looking confused.

"It's nice to meet you" Santana says while waving her hand in front of Brittany so Brittany will shake it.

"Uh, ok" Brittany says while shaking Santana's hand.

"I'm so glad we can finally meet" Santana says.

"What are you doing Santana?" Brittany chuckles slightly, still really confused.

"Oh, you remember me and my name, do you?" Santana questions.

"Ok I'm getting the sense you're mad at me or something" Brittany states. She knows she might be mad from the other night but this madness feels different to her. It's like she's mad about something else as well.

"I didn't come here to fight, I came here to see you because I love you and I miss you but yes I am mad at the moment Brittany" Santana says honestly.

"It's not easy for me either so can't we agree to disagree tonight and just spend some time together?" Brittany asks.

"I would really like that" Santana smiles.

"Excellent" Brittany smiles back. "Now let me get freshened up a little first and then we can hang out or talk or watch a movie, whatever you want."

"Ok" Santana nods. Brittany then heads to the bathroom to freshen up and change while Santana decides to spray a little more perfume on herself and maybe unbutton a few buttons to look that bit sexier.

"Ok, here I am" Brittany sings as she walks out of the bathroom. "God it feels so good to have you in the same room as me right now" she smiles.

"It feels so good" Santana replies as Brittany climbs onto the bed and makes her way closer to Santana.

"You smell nice babe" Brittany points out.

"You too" Santana agrees, "now come here" she says before pulling Brittany closer to kiss her. Things are a little rushed in the beginning because they just missed each other so much and want to really feel close again but they soon settle down and are less hurried as they kiss.

After spending an amazing night together and finally waking up in one another's arms again for the first time in 5 weeks, Brittany is hurriedly rushing downstairs to start her day of competing. Neither of them wanted to be apart already again but Brittany had to do it and Santana understood as much as she knows it's going to be boring without Brittany. Once it gets half way through the day, Santana decides she can't stay indoors any longer so she goes outside and explores the area. She manages to kill a good chunk of time so when she gets back to the hotel she's excited to see Brittany get back any time now.

"Hey you" Santana smiles as Brittany walks into the room.

"Hey" Brittany smiles. "I thought we could eat together tonight instead of me having dinner with the others."

"Sounds good" Santana replies. She is so glad Brittany said that because she really wants to spend as much time as possible with her.

"I did actually wonder though if you wanted to go out tonight and meet some of my friends from the competition" Brittany asks.

"I don't know if I'm really in the mood for that tonight. I'm still quite exhausted from travelling yesterday" Santana replies. It's only the first day she's here so she figures she could relax with Brittany tonight and then maybe meet the others tomorrow or something since she's here all week.

"That's cool, maybe another night then" Brittany smiles. They then order some room service and have dinner together. Santana has just picked out a movie for them to watch now when Brittany walks out of the bathroom all dressed up.

"Where are you going?" Santana asks confused.

"Out with my friends" Brittany replies.

"I said I was too tired tonight babe" Santana tells her.

"I know and you'll meet them another night" Brittany says.

"Wait you're still actually going out?" Santana questions.

"Yeah, is that ok?" Brittany says frowning in confusion. Santana is here for a week so she figured it would be fine.

"No, it's not ok actually" Santana sighs. "This is our first full day together and you still want to hang out with some randomers over your girlfriend?"

"You're here all week babe and I actually had this all planned out before you got here" Brittany replies.

"Ok Brittany, you are going nowhere right now. Enough is enough and we need to talk" Santana says putting her foot down.

"You can't tell me what to do Santana. I might be your girlfriend but I'm not your property so lose the fucking tone and attitude" Brittany says annoyed.

"I have cleared my whole schedule to be here this week and you don't even care. You just want to go out with your friends and leave me here alone, again" Santana states.

"Ok but I've been here for 5 weeks so forgive me for making plans before now" Brittany states. "I love that you're here babe but you are here for a week so we'll have time together."

"I don't think we can go on like this" Santana sighs.

"What?" Brittany asks in belief.

"I don't think our relationship can continue like this. We can't survive when we both have way different views on everything" Santana replies.

"You cannot seriously be breaking up with me right now" Brittany asks.

"I'm not but what I am saying is if we continue as we are then it's going to happen" Santana tells her.

"What do we do to stop it happening then?" Brittany asks. She doesn't want them to end, of course she doesn't.

"You need to be present more" Santana replies.

"I can hardly do that when I'm in another state in the middle of a competition" Brittany states.

"I mean emotionally Brittany. I feel so alone at the moment and I hate it" Santana says honestly.

"I'll try but it is hard being in different locations and not face to face to fully understand each other" Brittany admits.

"Do I mean more to you than this competition?" Santana asks.

"No but this competition is everything to me Santana as well. This could set me up for life so please don't ask me to quit" Brittany sighs.

"If this carries on the way it's going then I'll need to because I can't be with someone who doesn't see what's going on and how much I'm hurting" Santana says.

"Do you know something Santana, this isn't easy for me either" Brittany states annoyed. "So, if you want to break up then fine but I'm not quitting the competition so if that means splitting up then fine. Go right ahead and break my heart."

"You haven't once apologised to me Brittany since I got here" Santana shakes her head.

"Apologised for what?" Brittany asks.

"Seriously?" Santana questions in disbelief.

"Yeah seriously" Brittany nods.

"Just go out with your new friends because I've had enough tonight" Santana says before storming off to the bathroom. She doesn't necessarily need the bathroom but it's the only place with a door that she can be by herself and the only door she can slam without leaving the hotel room.

"Will you be here when I get back?" Brittany asks through the door.

"Do you care?" Santana asks.

"Fuck off Santana" Brittany sighs. "By the way if we break up it's on you so I hope you're happy with whatever you decide to do. All I know is I'm struggling too and I love you more than I love anyone."

"Maybe you could show me that then because it doesn't feel like it" Santana mutters under her breath. Brittany then leaves when Santana still doesn't come out after 5 minutes.

* * *

I know it's been a while but let me know what you think.


	12. Tough Times

Chapter 12: Tough Times

The whole time Brittany was on her way out to see her friends, she kept thinking about Santana. She barely even reached the bar before she turned around and went back to the hotel. She really wasn't deliberately not spending time with Santana tonight, she just didn't think it would be a problem. She made arrangements before she found out Santana was coming and if she knew it was going to be a big deal then she would have cancelled. She just assumed since they would have the rest of the week together then one night wasn't going to hurt.

"Hey" Brittany says quietly to Santana when she walks into the room. Santana is lying on top of the bed facing the other direction. She hears Brittany's faint greeting but she doesn't reply. "I cancelled on my friends" she tells Santana as she lies behind her and gently puts her arm over her girlfriend.

"Please don't touch me" Santana says, moving closer to edge of the bed away from Brittany.

"Don't be like that honey" Brittany says sadly. "We can fight but still comfort each other" she states.

"I came here for you Brittany and you were still going to go out" Santana sighs.

"I asked you to come with me and you said no" Brittany replies. She wasn't deliberately leaving Santana alone because she did ask her to join them.

"Because I wanted to be with you tonight on our own because I've missed you" Santana replies.

"We had last night on our own so I honestly thought tonight would be ok to go out and we would have the rest of the week to spend together" Brittany reasons.

"I love you and want to be with you but yet you would rather be with other people" Santana shrugs.

"You're being really unfair Santana because you know I love you" Brittany sighs. "It's a lot harder than I thought it would be to be so far away from everyone so I'm doing what I can to get by" she adds.

"I know it would be hard but you're acting like I'm nothing to you" Santana states.

"Indeed I am not" Brittany says defensively while shaking her head. "Ask any one of my friends here and they'll tell you that I talk about you nonstop."

"I'm glad you can talk about me but just not to me" Santana states annoyed while getting off the bed and walking over to the mirror to fix her makeup. It's not like she was planning on going anywhere so had to fix her makeup, she just needed something to do to distract herself a little bit otherwise she'd just break down.

"I admit I made a few mistakes and perhaps should have come home earlier and talked to you but I just lost track of time when we were out drinking and stuff" Brittany tells Santana. The thought of being alone in the hotel all night wasn't pleasant so when the others asked her out for drinks she went and it took her mind off of missing Santana. She realises now that maybe she could have left the bars an hour earlier and went back to the hotel and called Santana.

"There were days when we didn't even talk" Santana points out.

"You're acting like I can't have friends or go out with other people. I'm sorry that I don't sit in my hotel room alone all night waiting on us talking" Brittany sighs.

"I'm not saying you can't have friends; I'm just saying you could make more time for me" Santana states.

"You're talking as if I refused your calls and never spoke to you. Ok maybe we didn't talk every night like you say but it was at least every second night. You really are being unfair and also a little childish" Brittany points out.

"I'm being childish?" Santana questions, turning around from the mirror to look at Brittany.

"You never used to be this needy so what's going on?" Brittany asks.

"Childish and needy? Wow I really lucked out dating you. I don't think I could have met anyone better that would give me such nice compliments" Santana says sarcastically.

"Honey please don't take that to heart" Brittany says, regretting the way it came out. "I just meant, when I used to work late shifts at the diner or you worked overtime, there would be a few nights we couldn't talk. It wasn't ideal but we weren't pissed at one another" she reasons. It is lovely to talk every night with each other but they're also not the couple to get hung up about it if they don't. Brittany felt they knew each other well enough to know they loved one another without having to call and say it all the time.

"You're in a different state Brittany so I don't think asking you to talk to me every night is out of the question" Santana states.

"I really am sorry you feel like this. I honestly didn't know because we seemed to be ok in the beginning so I figured things were going ok because that's how they always went with us" Brittany replies.

"They weren't ok because I needed you and you weren't there for me" Santana sighs before walking towards the bathroom.

"Please don't lock yourself in there again, I want to talk" Brittany says while going after Santana to stop her from going to the bathroom. She gently takes Santana's hand in hers to keep her still. "Please babe."

"I'm going to pee, I'll be back in a second" Santana sighs.

"Oh, sorry…I thought you…you know what never mind. You go pee and I'll pour us some wine" Brittany smiles while letting go of Santana's hand. Santana then heads to the bathroom and Brittany gets them their drinks before sitting down on the bed to wait on Santana.

"Things can't go on like this" Santana says with a sigh as she leaves the bathroom and walks towards Brittany.

"Let's just take a moment to relax and we'll talk in a minute" Brittany says while motioning for Santana to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Brittany…" Santana sighs.

"Come on, just a second" Brittany states.

"Fine" Santana says before sitting on the edge of the bed. Brittany then moves behind her and begins to gently massage her shoulders.

"You're so tense in your shoulders" Brittany points out. Santana doesn't need to say anything, her turning her head to look at Brittany is enough to answer. "Yeah I suppose that's no surprise with how worked up we're both getting over our issues" she nods.

"I hate all of this fighting" Santana says honestly.

"I do too" Brittany agrees. They're silent for some time before Brittany begins to kiss the side of Santana's neck and across her shoulder.

"I don't think we should" Santana shakes her head but still doesn't move away from Brittany.

"You want to though, right?" Brittany asks.

"It won't fix anything" Santana replies.

"It'll show you how much I really do love you if you let me make love to you" Brittany smirks.

"Like I say, it won't fix what's going on" Santana tells Brittany.

"Ok fine, we won't have sex tonight" Brittany says before moving away from Santana to sit at the top of the bed. She knows sex can't fix their issues completely but she thought it would be a step in getting closer again and proving to Santana that she wants to be there for her.

"I do want to though, I just don't think it's wise right now" Santana replies while sliding up the bed to sit next to Brittany.

"You don't need to explain, it's fine" Brittany shrugs. There is an awkward silence around them for a moment as Brittany begins nervously playing with a piece of thread on her cushion while Santana just sits there wondering what to do or say.

"Since the day you left, I've wanted to have sex with you so badly" Santana admits embarrassingly.

"No, you haven't" Brittany says with a smile as she looks at Santana.

"I swear I have" Santana nods. "As much as I've been going through all different emotions, all I thought about was how amazing it would be to have you in my bed every night and to have sex with you" she adds.

"Why can't we just do that then since we're both here and in bed together?" Brittany asks. They're not exactly in bed but they're sitting on top of the covers next to one another so it's close enough.

"Because we have stuff to sort out" Santana replies.

"We'll still have stuff to sort later so why can't we just forget for a minute or so and have some fun?" Brittany suggests.

"A minute?" Santana chuckles. "If we do it I want it to last more than a minute" she says amused.

"I didn't mean literally that time frame. I meant like forget for a moment or a period of time, not a literal minute" Brittany smiles. "It's like what you said earlier when you went to the bathroom. You said you'd be back in a second but you were longer than a second."

"Ok, fair point" Santana says before moving forward and turning around to throw her leg over Brittany's lap to straddle her. She then gently places her hands on the sides of Brittany's face and kisses her.

XXX

Brittany and Santana are just lying in bed together with their arms around one another. They're in a comfortable silence as they get their breath back and just enjoy being with each other alone. Sex is good and everything but it's moments like this that they really like where they can just relax in each other's arms.

"I never want to lose you Santana" Brittany says softly, breaking the silence around them.

"Then stop allowing it to happen" Santana states, the peaceful atmosphere around them quickly disappearing and turning awkward.

"Why are you picking a fight with me right now?" Brittany asks while moving her arms from around Santana and shifting further towards the edge of the bed. She just wanted a nice moment together where they could just lie in one another's arms.

"I'm not but at the same time we can't hide the truth so we do need to talk about things and how we feel" Santana shrugs.

"I know that but all I was asking for was some time together to just relax and then we could talk about things" Brittany states. She knows they can't put it off forever but it still felt quite sudden right now to switch like that.

"Ok, well I still think we should try and resolve things as soon as we can" Santana replies.

"I get that but I'm not sure how to right now. I'm still in this competition and you're still going to have to go home at the end of the week so I don't know what else to say to make things better at the moment" Brittany admits.

"I need to be with someone who wants what I want" Santana states.

"I do want what you want Santana. I guess I'm just not handling things very well but I'll be home in 3 weeks so it's really not long before we see each other again" Brittany says. "I haven't stopped loving you or wanting to be with you."

"I would never pick new friends over my girlfriend" Santana says.

"I didn't do that Santana. This is the first time you've been here so there was never anything to pick. I made plans tonight but I was coming back to the hotel to you. I was going to spend every other night with you. I was going to eat dinner with you every night even though we're meant to eat with the other competitors" Brittany replies.

"Oh wow, how lucky am I to have dinner with my own girlfriend" Santana says while rolling her eyes.

"I'm not perfect in any manner but I won't apologise for living my life. You know how much you mean to me but I wanted to give this competition a good shot and have fun when I'm still young. Just because I hang out with some friends when I'm lonely doesn't mean I don't love you or would cheat on you because I would never" Brittany says honestly. She knows she needs to make more of an effort to call Santana but she hasn't done anything else wrong. She's just trying to cope out here on her own.

"I just want to be able to talk to you a bit more because I really miss you Brittany and I love you so much" Santana tells her.

"I know and I miss you too Santana, I really do" Brittany states. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss you because I love you too but sometimes I need to take my mind off things otherwise I'll just sit alone in my room miserable every night."

"I just think you could put in a little more effort" Santana replies. "I know you find it hard here and I appreciate that but I still think you could do more to reassure me" she adds.

"I'm going to be better, I promise" Brittany nods. "You're here for the week so I'm going to make you my priority whenever I'm not in the competition."

"That's all I'm asking for" Santana shrugs.

"Ok" Brittany smiles before moving closer to Santana again and wrapping her arms around her.

* * *

Santana has been here for a few days now with Brittany and she can see Brittany is really trying. She doesn't leave to go to her daily challenges for the competition until she really needs to and she comes back to the room as soon as it's done for the day. She texts Santana whenever she gets a break if she can and she always spends dinner with her instead of eating with the other competitors. She doesn't go out at night with the others either anymore, instead she spends it hanging out with Santana or taking her out for drinks or to do something fun.

Brittany is getting a rare day off from the competition today so Santana is excited to have a full day with Brittany and not just time before and after the competition each day.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Santana asks happily while climbing onto the bed to sit next to Brittany who is glancing at her phone at something.

"Huh?" Brittany asks distractedly.

"I was asking you what you wanted to do today since we can spend the day together" Santana repeats.

"I don't mind, we can do anything you want" Brittany smiles with a shrug before going back to concentrating on her phone.

"What is it that's so distracting on your phone?" Santana asks curiously.

"Well Melissa and I seem to be cooking the same thing tomorrow for our daily challenge so I wanted to go one step ahead and really wow the judges with my dish more than she does so I was looking up secret ingredients that could give me the edge" Brittany replies.

"So, you were doing stuff for the competition even though you're supposed to be having the day off today?" Santana asks slightly annoyed.

"It's not like I'm spending lots of time doing it. You were in the shower and I had a free moment" Brittany shrugs.

"We're supposed to be having a fun competition free day today" Santana states.

"I know and we still are. Please don't make this into a big deal babe because it's really not. Like I say you were in the shower so I was just browsing the web for ideas" Brittany points out.

"Everything is about the competition and it's starting to piss me off a little bit" Santana says.

"For goodness sake Santana, I was looking up a couple of herbs for like 2 minutes. You were in the damn shower so we weren't going to hang out there so while I was waiting on you, I searched the internet for a couple of minutes. I know I haven't been the best girlfriend and I'm really trying to be better for you but you can't honestly be mad at me for looking at my phone for a few minutes" Brittany replies.

"I know you weren't really doing anything that bad right now but those two minutes were probably going to turn into 5 and then another 5 so when I get bored of waiting, I'll dry my hair and get organised for the day and you'll still be on your phone. Then when I'm sitting waiting on you to go out you won't have even reached the shower yet so our whole day will be delayed so eventually there won't be any point in going out anymore" Santana states.

"That's not true. I was literally killing some time until the shower was free but I wasn't going to be much longer. I think you're really starting to be quite hard on me Santana and I don't like it" Brittany sighs. She really has been trying the last few days but it never seems to be good enough.

"I have to be like this if we're to ever survive because I don't want to be always waiting for you or doing it your way because that's not fair. I don't always want to live by your rules only" Santana replies.

"It actually sounds like you're doing that to me and if I don't do what you want then you get pissed off" Brittany points out. "We're both adults here and we both get a say in this relationship so we can't go on trying to expect the other to do as we want. It's fair enough to compromise certain things but you fell for me for who I am I hope so I don't know why you want to change me."

"You're not you though, that's the thing" Santana states.

"You're not exactly acting like the Santana I first met either. I mean I remember when you were dating James. He was allowed to spend time with other people and I don't remember you getting so pissed at him all the time because he didn't do exactly what you say" Brittany tells her.

"Do you know what, let's just forget about today. You can do whatever the hell you like and I'll do what I want because I'm tired of us never getting somewhere with these conversations" Santana states before heading back to the bathroom.

XXX

After spending most of the day apart, Brittany and Santana are both back in the hotel room together now. Santana had got organised for the day and went out on her own to clear her head. She took a bit of a walk and just spent some time thinking on her own. Brittany meanwhile, waited to see if Santana would come back before deciding she might as well make more plans for tomorrow's daily challenge since Santana didn't seem to want to spend time together anymore.

"I'm leaving and if you don't come with me then I'll know we're over" Santana states as she packs her suitcase. "If you stay here then I'll know this competition means more to you than I do."

"You cannot ask me to choose like that" Brittany says in disbelief. Of course, Santana means the world to Brittany but the competition is money and will help their future and let Brittany live out her dream. Brittany is so miserable working in the diner making very little money. She can't even afford to move out of her parents' home so for Santana to be ok with Brittany quitting all this to end back at square one is shocking and heart breaking for Brittany. Not only would winning the competition help Brittany but she was going to help Santana out. She wanted to buy a home for them and Santana wouldn't be stuck paying more rent than she could manage.

"I have to if we are to ever survive" Santana shrugs.

"Santana…this isn't that simple" Brittany sighs. "Are you honestly telling me you would be happier for my life to fail and for me to be miserable than to let me try and make something of my life. If I come back home right now I will be back in that diner, no better off and quite severely out of pocket for going home. The competition only pays for me when I'm here so if I quit, they're not going to pay for me to go home or anything like that."

"Is money more important than me?" Santana asks.

"You are the most important person in my life but I have no money. How do you honestly think we can have a future when I can't provide for us?" Brittany asks. "We can't buy a house together, I can't move out of my parents, we can't have a family. We'll literally be so miserable together so I'll never forgive myself if I don't try to achieve something here."

"We'll find another way" Santana shrugs.

"I have waited so long for a chance like this so I don't think another one is going to just turn up like that" Brittany points out. "Surely I should get to see this through because all of this sadness could be worth it in the end if I get the money and come home to you and we can be so much happier."

"It's me or the competition Brittany" Santana states seriously as she finishes packing and wheels her suitcase over to the door.

"I'm really sorry for hurting you so please don't do this. Please don't give up so easily" Brittany pleads with Santana. She knows she hasn't been the best girlfriend to Santana, she sees that now, but she honestly doesn't think she's been bad enough for Santana to break up with her.

"I just wanted you Brittany, I didn't want all of this nonsense" Santana sighs.

"I want you too and I don't want us to fight but I really don't think it's fair of you to make me choose when this competition could do so much for both of us" Brittany replies.

"I have to ask you to choose because I need to know where I stand" Santana states.

"You knew what all of this entailed when you signed me up for this competition so why did you do it in the first place if you want me to choose between you and it?" Brittany asks curiously.

"I didn't know it was going to be like this" Santana tells her.

"You have to have done because it clearly stated that it was 8 weeks long and would really take someone dedicated to it to go for it. Therefore, it implied it took a large amount of time and would be very stressful" Brittany reasons.

"What is it to be Brittany?" Santana asks.

"We can't ever get back together if you leave me now" Brittany points out.

"I'll take that as your answer then" Santana shrugs.

"I don't want to break up with you Santana so I'm not picking. It's up to you if you want to leave right now or not. You're basically doing the same thing back to me because you're either leaving me or staying with me until we ride these last 3 weeks out" Brittany tells her.

"I am leaving" Santana states.

"You've answered your own question then, you're leaving me" Brittany says as a tear runs down her cheek. She knew things were bad between then but she never expected it to end like this.

* * *

It's the next day and Quinn was just enjoying some time to herself on a day off from work when she got a text from Santana to tell her to come over. She didn't really think much of it so she got ready and went over to Santana's place.

"How was the trip?" Quinn asks. "Actually, what are you doing home already?" she asks when she realises Santana has only been gone a couple of days, not a week.

"We're over" Santana shrugs. She's putting on a brave face but she is upset.

"How?" Quinn asks shocked.

"Things just went from bad to worse so I told her it was either me or the competition and she picked the competition" Santana states.

"You actually asked her to choose?" Quinn wonders.

"I couldn't take it anymore so yeah I made her choose" Santana nods.

"You're my best friend and I love you but isn't that a little harsh. I mean it couldn't have been simple to just ask her to choose" Quinn states.

"Wow…" Santana shakes her head. "I can't believe my best friend is not siding with me."

"This isn't about sides honey because I've got your back, you know I have" Quinn assures Santana. "I just don't think your situation was as simple as being able to choose like that. I would do anything to have the chance of a better job and to set me up for the future because none of us are well off so I can see why Brittany needs to give this a shot but at the same time I know she loves you."

"I couldn't take it anymore so I needed to be clearer on where we stood so I had to ask her" Santana replies.

"I'm not saying you're not hurting; I'm just saying there was no need to be so final about everything. I honestly don't think Brittany meant to be so unavailable all the time. I think if I was on my own I would try to fit in instead of being alone and depressed" Quinn replies.

"You just don't get it Quinn" Santana says as she shakes her head.

"Ok maybe I don't but even though I knew you two were going through some things, I really didn't expect you to break up like that" Quinn admits.

Meanwhile with Brittany, she has just left her hotel room and is making her way downstairs to start off another day of the competition. She barely slept all night last night after what happened with Santana. She knew she hadn't been the best person lately but she really didn't think Santana would have been so final about everything. She thought eventually they would work everything out and she would come home with the money and they could live happily ever after. She realises that was just a fairy-tale and they never come true in reality.

"Brittany, you're late" George tells her. George is one of the runners of the competition so he doesn't like people not sticking to their schedule.

"Fire me then…oh wait you can't because I'm not even getting paid for this" Brittany shrugs.

"Take your seat please Brittany so we can get started" George states amused.

"Fine" Brittany sighs while walking over to her cooking area before taking a seat to listen to the introduction for the day. Everyone is looking at her because they're surprised by her behaviour this morning but she doesn't care, all she cares about is Santana.

The whole day of competing, Brittany is really off her game. Her mind is so distracted that she ends up burning half of her food and she ends up snapping at a few of her colleagues who get in her way. She doesn't take too kindly to the constructive criticism that she gets from George and the others either which isn't like her because she usually welcomes all feedback that can help her improve and give her a good chance at winning.

The competition has ended for the day now and all the competitors are getting cleared up before they go back to their rooms before it all starts again tomorrow morning. Brittany being so preoccupied about what happened last night ends up being the last one there still tidying up her things. George walks over to her and pulls up two chairs before sitting down on one.

"Brittany, why don't you sit down for a minute" George suggests.

"Ok" Brittany sighs before putting down the dishes and taking a seat next to George.

"What is going on with you?" George asks gently.

"Nothing" Brittany shrugs her shoulders.

"You're one of the most talented ones here so today's performance is a real shocker and that attitude you have today is doing you no favours" George points out.

"I'm really distracted today so I'm sorry" Brittany apologises.

"What's happened?" George asks. He genuinely wants to make sure Brittany is ok because it's so out of character for her. He wouldn't normally stay behind and talk to the competitors privately because it would look like he's giving them preferential treatment but he is really concerned today.

"This competition is so hard and I'm doing my best but it's cost me the love of my life. She broke up with me last night because I wouldn't go home with her. I wanted to go with her because she's my world but I have no money, I need this chance because otherwise I go home to a diner that pays very little and live miserably the rest of my life because no one wants me. So many catering companies have turned me down and I can't even build my own because I have basically 50 cents to my name" Brittany says bursting into tears.

"I know it sucks but sometimes these things happen. You need to be ruthless in a competition like this so there is no easy way to do it. I can't say much about how any of you competitors are doing because that wouldn't be fair on the others but what I can say is that you really are talented Brittany so please don't give up" George replies. He doesn't want to get involved in someone's private business but he can see how hard Brittany has worked so he doesn't want her to give up.

"What if I'm wasting my time here staying and I've lost my girlfriend forever because of something I'm no good at" Brittany states.

"All of you deserve to be here and we're only hard on you because we want to make you all even better. No one here shouldn't be here so I wouldn't give up with the competition right now" George tells her.

"I love my girlfriend though and she broke up with me because I stayed here" Brittany points out.

"There is only 3 weeks left and it is completely your decision but I think you can handle 3 more weeks to give yourself a chance" George says. He's not saying she will win it but they all are capable of doing well so he doesn't like to see anyone waste a good opportunity.

After Brittany finishes up for the day, she goes back to her room. She orders some room service and takes a bath to try and relax before her food arrives. She really doesn't relax though because all she can think about is everything that happened last night so she decides to keep herself busy until her food comes. When it does come, she sits down and begins to eat before calling Mercedes to talk to her best friend about everything that has happened.

"I know I didn't go about things in the best way but I never wanted us to break up and I never thought Santana could do something like this to me. I had a lot of making up to do and I get that but to break up with me because of a few missed calls. I made plans the second night she was there but that was the only time I was going out. I asked her to come with me and she said no so why am I being punished for that" Brittany states.

"You two will work things out" Mercedes points out.

"She broke my heart Mercedes, how can we?" Brittany asks. "I really don't think what I done was enough to justify splitting up with me. There is no way Santana hasn't made a few mistakes in a relationship before so it's not fair."

"You two seem as stubborn as each other" Mercedes points out.

"I just don't know what to do anymore. I want to be with Santana so badly but she gave up on me so quickly so maybe we do need a break or something" Brittany sighs.

"I think it's best to maybe stay there and keep going for these last few weeks and then re-evaluate everything once you get home. You two probably do need some time to really think about things so just stay there and do that while trying to win that money and when you get home you can see if things can be sorted out" Mercedes suggests.

* * *

It's been at least a week now since Brittany and Santana last talked. Brittany wanted to give Santana some space so she didn't call her for the first day or two but when she tried to call on the third day, Santana didn't answer. Brittany just assumed she was working or was busy so tried again later that night. Eventually after 5 days with Santana never answering her calls, Brittany assumed it was deliberate. She understands why Santana is probably doing it but it doesn't make her feel any better.

Brittany is currently at a bar right now with some of the others from the competition. One of her friends is at the bathroom and the other is getting them all some drinks so Brittany is sitting alone at a table. She was just minding her own business when a girl sat down next to her and introduced herself as Alexis. Brittany really wasn't in the mood to talk so she tried to get rid of her but the message didn't seem to be getting through to Alexis.

"So, do you have a girlfriend?" Alexis asks while placing her hand on Brittany's leg.

"Um…"

"I don't know why you wouldn't right enough, you are pretty damn hot" Alexis says as she gently massages Brittany's thigh.

"Look can you not do that please" Brittany says politely while removing Alexis's hand.

"You didn't answer my question" Alexis says completely ignoring what Brittany said.

"Come on, don't do that" Brittany says while lifting Alexis's hand off her leg once again.

"Answer my question then" Alexis smirks.

"It's complicated but I certainly wouldn't say I'm available" Brittany sighs.

"So, there is someone in your life then?" Alexis asks.

"Yes, I have a…someone" Brittany sighs at the last part of the sentence. She'd love to call Santana her girlfriend and she doesn't want to be disrespectable by calling her 'someone' but she really doesn't know what they are anymore.

"So, where is she?" Alexis asks.

"Can you just leave me alone please?" Brittany asks, starting to get annoyed with this woman and her lack of personal space.

"Brittany are you ok?" one of Brittany's friends asks as she walks over to the table.

"No, this woman is harassing me" Brittany states.

"I was only…"

"Leave her alone" Brittany's friend says while placing the drinks down and grabbing the woman by the arm to remove her.

"Ok, I'm going" the woman glares before leaving.

"Do you want me to call the security people to make her leave?" her friend asks.

"No, it's fine" Brittany sighs. "To be honest I think I might leave because I'm not really in the mood tonight and I just want to be alone."

"You miss Santana a lot so is it really wise to be sitting alone with your thoughts. Wouldn't that make you miss her even more and make you feel worse?" her friend asks.

"It doesn't matter where I am, I'm still going to feel like this" Brittany shrugs. "Thanks for inviting me out tonight but I think I am going to just go back to the hotel."

"Ok" her friend smiles. After Brittany says goodbye to both of her friends, she heads back to the hotel. She gets to her room and changes into something more comfortable before calling Santana. She doesn't have high hopes in her answering but she wants to try.

"It's Brittany again. I just really want to know where we stand so if you can, please call me back" Brittany says as Santana once again doesn't answer.

Brittany watches TV for about 20 minutes before her phone lights up. She looks at the screen to see who it is and when she sees its Santana's number, her whole face lights up. She doesn't waste any time in answering.

"Santana, hi" Brittany says cheerfully. "I've been trying to…"

"Stop calling me Brittany" Santana states seriously. "You're blocking my voicemail with all of these messages you're leaving so just stop."

"Please talk to me Santana. I really miss you" Brittany says as a few tears run down her face.

"That's not my problem" Santana states.

"I love you and I don't want this to be the end of us. I made a lot of mistakes but it didn't mean I didn't love and care for you. Please don't end things completely" Brittany says in tears.

"It wasn't me that did this Brittany" Santana says in the most confident voice she can. Brittany crying really does pull at her heartstrings but she wants Brittany to know she is ok and she isn't crying herself to sleep every night even though that's exactly what she does.

"Have you been really busy so couldn't take my calls or did you just not want to talk to me?" Brittany wonders.

"I have had some time but you ignored my calls so why shouldn't I ignore yours?" Santana replies.

"I didn't intentionally hurt you but you're intentionally hurting me now. Two wrongs don't make a right" Brittany points out.

"I still got hurt though" Santana replies.

"I didn't mean it though Santana. You do mean this otherwise you wouldn't do it" Brittany says upset. "I didn't look at your name flashing on my phone when you called and then hung up on you. I answered and said I was busy whereas you can clearly see I'm calling and you can't even pick up and say anything. Saying anything would be better than not saying anything at all" she adds.

"I'm not fighting with you anymore Brittany, it's mentally and emotionally exhausting me" Santana sighs.

"I'm not coping myself particularly well but if I come home now then you probably still wouldn't be with me so there's no point getting nothing out of this whole thing. I might as well stay here and try and win the money since I have nothing else now" Brittany states.

"We're not together anymore so your plans are not my business" Santana points out.

"So, we're definitely not together then?" Brittany asks for clarification.

"Doesn't look like it" Santana replies.

"So, we're single then?" Brittany wonders.

"I would say that's accurate, yes" Santana tells her.

"So, you're telling me it's a waste of my time in trying to fight for you?" Brittany states.

"You can do whatever you want Brittany, you usually do" Santana sighs.

"Ok well I'll see you when I get home then. It doesn't look like I will win this thing anymore because I've let myself down a lot this week in the challenges but I'm going to see it through and then I'm going to work on us. You might not want me anymore but I don't think I can be so final with my decision" Brittany replies.

"I need to go now Brittany" Santana says.

"Ok well, I love you" Brittany says.

"Goodbye Brittany" Santana says and then hangs up. It really hurts Brittany to hear Santana not say it back but what else can she expect. She did wrong and Santana can't just roll over and forget what happened so Brittany is trying not be so hurt when she knows she caused this.

* * *

Was it right for them to break up? Let me know what you think.


	13. Some things aren't meant to be

Chapter 13: Some things aren't meant to be

For the rest of the competition, Brittany and Santana don't speak at all. They both hear things from their friends from time to time about the other but they don't call each other anymore to talk. As much as Brittany really wants to talk to Santana, she knows Santana isn't going to pick up the phone so she stops trying. It doesn't stop her from getting distracted in the competition though when she's constantly thinking about her ex and wishing they could repair things. She knows she should focus on the competition because that is something she can do right if she concentrates and works hard but it's not that simple for her when she feels so awful about everything.

"Ok everyone, it's the last day of competing today so let's make it count. Tomorrow we announce the winner so let's see what you can do today because there's still time to change our minds. It's not too late to give it one last shot to impress us" one of the runners of the competition tells everyone.

"Exactly so let's see what you can all do" another runner adds. All the competitors then begin their last challenge of the competition.

"Brittany, is everything ok?" George asks as he notices Brittany just sitting on her stool staring off into the distance, not making any attempt to start cooking.

"I've blown it already so what's the point" Brittany sighs.

"You really haven't Brittany" George shakes his head. "You've still got another shot to impress us today so you should take it and do what you do best which is cooking" he smiles.

"I've been so distracted lately that there's no chance of me winning" Brittany points out.

"You are all talented here so no one is out of the running yet so you do still have a chance so please don't waste it. You are very talented Brittany so don't do something you might regret. Looking back on this, I don't want you regretting not giving it one last shot so you owe this to yourself" George tells her.

"Ok" Brittany says with a sigh while nodding. She's already lost Santana so what else does she have to lose really. She might as well try today and see what happens.

After a long day of competing, Brittany is back in her hotel room now. She had dinner with the other competitors before they all decided to head back to their rooms to get an early night. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning and then mostly everyone will be going back home or to wherever they want to go next depending on their place in the competition.

Brittany is currently packing her bags so that after the competition ends tomorrow, she is all ready to go to the airport and head home. She's decided that no matter what happens tomorrow, she's going to go home first anyway and see her family who she has missed a lot. Then if she is lucky enough to have won then she'll take a few days off before deciding what happens next.

As much as she has really enjoyed showing off her cooking talents, the competition has sort of left Brittany with a bad feeling whenever she thinks about it because of the breakup coming right in the middle of it. She's actually a little relieved for it to be over now so she can get back to normality. She's looking forward to the pressure being off now and getting home to see her family but she's not looking forward to the prospect of not winning and having to go home and work in the diner again. It's been a good job for her and she likes the people she works with but it's not allowing her to show off her talents and it doesn't pay enough for her to live really. She does get by on her salary but she really does struggle at times. She can't even bring herself to think about what she's going to do if this competition has got her nowhere. She's hoping even if she doesn't win then the experience might be something she can use to apply for better paying jobs.

* * *

It's a few days later and Santana and Quinn are both on their break at work so they're sitting together in the staffroom eating and talking. They don't often get their breaks at the same time so it's nice when they do because they can catch up and not have to sit alone thinking through everything they don't want to think about.

"Mercedes says Brittany is home now" Quinn tells Santana.

"I figured that because she posted something on Facebook about how good it was being home" Santana replies.

"Are you going to go and see her?" Quinn asks curiously.

"I don't know if I should because things weren't left that great the last time we talked" Santana admits.

"You still really miss her though, don't you?" Quinn asks.

"I do, so much" Santana sighs. She knows what she did was wrong and she probably shouldn't have given Brittany an ultimatum like that but she was desperate. She was worried she would lose Brittany if she didn't say something seriously but it back fired and she lost her anyway. She just said it so Brittany knew she was serious but things just got out of control and she was leaving before she knew it.

"You should try and talk to her at some point" Quinn points out.

"I know" Santana nods. "Look, can we not talk about this here at work because I'm going to get upset and that's the last thing I want to do here" she says. Not only is she embarrassed to be upset at work but it'll also affect her concentration and right now she needs this job because its money coming in so she can't make any mistakes.

"Ok, sure" Quinn smiles. She understands because it's a personal discussion so she wouldn't want the whole of the workplace to know if she was in Santana's position. "So, what are you up to after work. Have you got any plans?" she asks curiously.

"I'm going to visit my gran tonight actually" Santana replies.

"How is she doing at the moment?" Quinn asks in concern.

"Reasonably ok" Santana nods. "The operation just after Christmas went well and she recovered well so she's back home now and as rude as ever" she says with a slight chuckle.

"She always had a sharp tongue at times but I always liked your grandma" Quinn says fondly.

"You should come with me some time and visit. I know you've got plans tonight but she's probably getting bored of seeing the same people all the time so she'll like to see you" Santana points out.

"Yeah I might just do that" Quinn nods.

After lunch, Quinn and Santana got back to work. It felt like such a long afternoon to Santana but thankfully she is home now and finished work for the day. She's just finished getting changed and is grabbing her purse and keys to head out to see her grandma. She lives relatively close but she is exhausted from work today so she's going to drive over there instead of walking. When she gets there, she parks up outside and then heads inside. Her grandma is still not very mobile on her own so Santana has a spare key that she uses to get inside instead of making her gran walk to the door to answer it.

"Hey grandma, it's me" Santana shouts as she enters the house. She didn't want to startle her grandma by just walking into the living room where she probably is so she wanted to announce her presence first. She doesn't get any answer though so she goes to the living room to see if that's where she indeed is. "Hey" Santana smiles as she notices Alma sitting on the chair, flipping through a magazine.

"What are you doing here Santana?" Alma asks with a sigh as she looks over at her granddaughter.

"It's nice to see you too grandma" Santana says while laughing. It wasn't exactly the reply she was looking for when she said hello.

"You haven't answered my question" Alma states.

"I'm here to visit you grandma" Santana says while frowning in confusion. She gets on great with her grandmother so she doesn't understand why she is being so cold with her this evening. I mean sometimes her grandma would get irritated by the things Santana does, like throwing her cigarettes away but that's all for a good reason.

"Well you shouldn't be here right now because you have other things to take care of, have you not?" Alma replies seriously.

"Grandma, have I done something to upset you?" Santana asks sadly. She doesn't like the thought of her grandma being mad at her for something.

"You broke that young girl's heart and I don't like that" Alma states seriously.

"You're pissed at me because Brittany and I broke up?" Santana questions.

"No, I am pissed at _you_ because you broke up with Brittany. She didn't do anything to cause the breakup, it was all you my dear" Alma points out.

"You cannot be more pissed at me than I am at myself" Santana sighs. "This was never the way things were supposed to plan out" she adds.

"Brittany wanted to be with you for so long and it took you long enough to realise you felt the same so why have you messed things up already?" Alma asks. She thought Brittany and Santana were well matched and suited perfectly for each other so she doesn't understand how Santana could throw that away so easily.

"I didn't mean for this to happen" Santana admits while taking a seat next to her grandma to talk to her.

"So, what did you mean then?" Alma wonders.

"I thought she would pick me and then I would tell her that that means so much to me and that she should stay for the competition. I just wanted to know how serious she was about me but I never meant it to come out like it did" Santana admits. "Then when she actually said it was the competition then I got hurt and overreacted and things just spiralled out of control" she sighs.

"Do you still love her?" Alma asks.

"More than anything but I've hurt her so much that she won't ever want me again. I hate myself for doing this and she probably hates me too" Santana says.

"So, you asked her hoping she would pick you and then you would know you were her priority and then say she could stay and finish the competition?" Alma asks for clarification.

"Yes, exactly. I never thought she would pick the competition like she did so when she did it shocked me and I said some things I didn't mean and before I knew it, I had left to go home. I honestly thought she would say me and then that would assure me and I'd have been ok with her staying" Santana replies.

"That's still harsh Santana because Brittany clearly didn't realise your intention so she must have thought you honestly would be happy for her to lose the competition" Alma states.

"I know and honestly grandma, I feel like such a bitch. When I look back on it now, I realise it was all wrong of me and I don't know what to do now" Santana says. She doesn't want to mess Brittany around so it wouldn't be fair to run back to her but that's all she really wants to do though. She wants Brittany back so badly but she knows she was wrong so she's scared Brittany will reject her even though it's probably what she deserves.

"I think you need to at least apologise to Brittany for making her feel so terrible because even though she picked the competition, it couldn't have been an easy decision" Alma points out.

"I know but I don't know if she'll want to talk to me yet because of how much I hurt her" Santana reasons.

"From what I hear she is home now and none of us know how she did in the competition so I think it would be good of you to go and see her. You're the one who signed her up for it so surely you're interested to know how it went" Alma replies.

"I just don't know if she'll want to see me" Santana sighs.

"You're not working tomorrow so just go and see her. You need to make the first move I think because you did cause all of this hurt Santana" Alma tells her. She's not someone to sugar-coat things plus she feels Santana needs to toughen up a bit and realise she made the mistake.

"I really don't know grandma" Santana says, pondering the idea about whether it's wise to go or not.

"Stop being so self-involved and think about how Brittany feels. This isn't all about you and how comfortable you feel in the situation. Brittany is hurt and confused about things most probably and you not answering her calls probably made her feel a million times worse" Alma states. She's not sure that Brittany would be comfortable making the first move after the way Santana made her feel so she feels Santana should be the one to reach out and clear the air somewhat.

"But grandma…"

"I mean it Santana Lopez" Alma says seriously.

* * *

Santana's got a day off from work today so she's spending it currently moping around in her apartment. She's really annoyed at herself for the way everything has turned out so she doesn't even have the energy to make an effort today. She had to force herself into the shower this morning and now she's lounging on the couch in sweatpants, looking through her phone at pictures of Brittany and how happy they used to be together. She knows she should go and see Brittany like her grandma suggested but to be totally honestly, she's really quite embarrassed and ashamed. She treated Brittany so harshly so she feels so terrible about that so she is madder at herself than anything at the moment. She's just making herself some coffee and debating about whether to go and see Brittany or not when someone knocks on her door. She stops what she's doing and quickly answers it expecting it to be Quinn.

"Wow, Brittany" Santana says surprised. Out of everyone she expected to be at the door, she would have never thought it would be Brittany.

"Do you mind if I come in for a second?" Brittany asks nervously. She wants to talk to Santana but she's not sure whether Santana will want to talk to her.

"No, in you come" Santana says while moving away from the door to let Brittany walk inside. "Just go straight to the living room and I'll be there in a second" she says while closing the door over.

"Ok" Brittany nods and heads straight to the living room.

"I'm just making some coffee; do you want some?" Santana asks.

"Sure" Brittany replies. She's a little surprised at how welcoming Santana is right now but it's certainly putting her at ease a bit because she wants a mature discussion with her, not a fight.

Santana quickly makes them both some coffee and then heads through to the living room with it. She hands Brittany a cup and then goes over to the other side of the room to sit with her coffee. They both sit in silence for a moment or so, neither of them sure how to start this discussion. They both have plenty to say but at the same time they don't want to offend the other and start a fight right from the off.

"So, you're home now then?" Santana starts off.

"I am" Brittany nods.

"How was the competition?" Santana asks curiously. Even though they've broken up, she'd still like to know how Brittany did because she was the one to apply on her behalf.

"I didn't win so you'll be happy" Brittany cheekily replies.

"You didn't?" Santana asks shocked.

"Nope" Brittany shakes her head. "The last 8 weeks have pretty much been pointless because I lost you and I lost the stupid competition so like I say, you'll be happy."

"Brittany I'm not happy, I'm not happy about any of this" Santana sighs.

"I wanted to win so badly and I just feel so embarrassed now. I mean yes, I was doing it for the money mostly because I have none but the experience and satisfaction of winning was supposed to be good. I was really hoping that winning would show people I'm talented and I can do this so they might want to hire me but no one wants to hire the second place" Brittany says with a sigh.

"So, you came second then?" Santana asks. That in itself is pretty good because it means she wasn't terrible and was close to winning.

"Yeah" Brittany nods. "Apparently it was close between me and the winner Melissa but they gave her the edge because of my unpredictability. After we broke up, I sort of became less motivated and depressed if you like so I lost concentration and just didn't put the effort in. they understood what I was going through but that's not the kind of person you want to work for you, you know" she shrugs.

"That's my fault and you have no idea how sorry I am Brittany" Santana sighs. She realises now that she's probably caused all of this and Brittany probably lost because of her.

"It's not really when you think about it because I did choose the competition so I shouldn't have thrown it away like that. I chose to stay so I should have been working harder to prove myself" Brittany admits.

"So, what are you doing now?" Santana asks curiously.

"I assumed I would go back to the diner and work but I honestly can't face it. I know I have no money so I really should do it since I at least get paid something but I don't think I can go back there" Brittany admits. She doesn't have much else planned but she honestly can't bring herself to go back to working in the diner.

"I know you didn't win but surely this is something else to put on your CV so can't you set up your own catering thing?" Santana asks.

"I'd need money for supplies and a kitchen etc. so I don't think I can" Brittany points out.

"Work from home in your mom's kitchen then. It's maybe not ideal but after a few gigs then maybe you'll be able to look into something else" Santana suggests.

"It's funny you say that actually because I just had to turn down a job making cupcakes for a birthday party because I didn't think I'd have anywhere to work or be able to afford to get supplies" Brittany admits.

"Call them back and say you'll do it" Santana states.

"They've probably got someone else now and I think they only asked me to do it out of pity. It was George from the competition who asked me to make cupcakes for his niece's 5th birthday because I won the challenge the day we made the cupcakes. He said they were the best chocolate fudge cupcakes he ever tasted but I think he was just being nice" Brittany shrugs.

"Brittany you are very talented with baking so I would call him back and say you'll do it especially if he's paying you. Maybe catering is too much right now but just going into baking could be the first step. Start off with making cakes for people and if that sets off then you can really think about developing your own catering company" Santana states. They aren't together anymore but it doesn't mean she doesn't want Brittany to do well for herself.

"It's one thing though, it's not going to keep me afloat" Brittany replies. She has had a one-off job offer so even if she makes the cakes, she's not got anything else to do after that job.

"I really think you should do this anyway because it's a step in the right direction" Santana replies.

"Maybe I will but anyway, I'm not here to talk cupcakes" Brittany says, trying to get back to why she turned up here in the first place.

"Ok" Santana nods in understanding.

"I've thought things over the last couple of weeks and I realise now that you're not interested in me anymore so I'm not going to waste my time to try to win you back when I know it's not what you want" Brittany admits. It kills her to say this but she knows it's for the best right now.

"Why are you here then?" Santana asks.

"Because I didn't want to leave things so complicated and unsure so I wanted you to know I wasn't going to bother you anymore and we can finally move on from our shambles of a relationship and forget the other even existed" Brittany replies.

* * *

It's Friday and Mercedes and Brittany are both free this morning so they're meeting for coffee and to catch up. Brittany ended up making the cupcakes for the birthday party and even though she's back at square one again, she actually thinks it might be quite nice to set up her own cake business. It's going to take a long time to do but she realises that Santana was right, starting small is ok so she's spoke to her parents and they're more than happy for her to just bake at home until she gets something more permanent to work from. She knew her parents would be ok but she still feels bad because she's using their kitchen, their electricity and everything but can't contribute to the bills just yet until she gets a few more jobs.

"So how are things with you?" Mercedes asks.

"Ok but not ok" Brittany sighs. "I know what I want to do now but I just don't know how to do it. I mean how do I get more jobs if I don't have money for advertising or even a permanent place to work. Will people really want to hire someone for their wedding cake that works from their mom's kitchen?"

"We'll just need to spread the word and once things pick up, we'll get you advertised in the local paper and we'll get business cards and everything printed off. Trust me, we don't need to make this into a big thing right now. Take it step by step and just concentrate on the small jobs just now. My grandma's retirement home is having a party at the end of the month for a birthday so I'm going to put you forward to make the cake" Mercedes smiles.

"I can't ask you to force people into giving me jobs" Brittany shakes her head.

"You're more talented than you're giving yourself credit for so don't think anyone is forced into anything. Just maybe whip up a couple of samples and we'll take them there and they can pick which they like best and then you'll make the cake for them. If they don't like any then they won't give you the job but I doubt that'll happen" Mercedes replies.

"Do you honestly think this is going to work or am I wasting my time?" Brittany asks.

"It's not going to be easy getting the first few jobs because no one knows you're out there but once you get a couple then word will spread, you'll get more jobs therefore start to make some money then we'll start advertising" Mercedes says.

"I just hope I have enough money to buy everything I need because I won't get paid until the cakes are made so where is that initial sum coming from" Brittany points out.

"I'm more than happy to lend you some money to get the ball rolling but I don't have nearly enough spare to set you up" Mercedes replies.

"No, I'm not going to ask you to lend me money" Brittany shakes her head. None of her friends had money after they graduated college and they really struggled for a while until they got good jobs so Brittany isn't going to take that away from them again.

"I can handle buying some baking supplies for you as a one off so just make sure you put a few cupcakes aside for me and we're even" Mercedes smiles.

"I honestly don't know what I'd do without you or our other friends" Brittany smiles back.

"Speaking of friends, you, me and our friends are going out tonight to a party" Mercedes tells Brittany.

"I'm not really in the mood for that" Brittany sighs.

"Come on, it'll be fun and it'll get you out of the house for a while" Mercedes states.

"No, I don't want to" Brittany shakes her head.

"I don't want you at home, moping around and worrying about everything. Just come out and let your hair down for once in a while" Mercedes says.

"Fine, but only for a little while. I don't want to be there all night" Brittany states.

"That's good enough for me" Mercedes smiles. After hanging out for a while, they both head home to relax for a bit before they get ready for the party later that night. They're now walking into the party to meet the rest of their friends. Brittany is just heading towards the drinks when she notices something.

"Mercedes, how could you?" Brittany scolds her best friend.

"What?" Mercedes asks confused.

"I have just seen Santana and Quinn walk outside onto the patio" Brittany states.

"Oh, are they here, I'm sorry I didn't think they would be" Mercedes says playing dumb.

"I know fine well you knew they were coming and that's why you tried so hard in getting me here so don't act like you don't know" Brittany states.

"You two should never have broken up so I wanted to try and help you get back on track" Mercedes points out.

"It isn't me that you need to help. Santana ended things with me so if anyone needs help then it's her because I loved her so much and she just threw it away like that" Brittany sighs.

"I know but we need you both in the same room to sort things out so that's why Quinn and I came up with this plan for all of us to go to the party tonight" Mercedes replies.

"Do you know what, I'm not actually in the mood to see Santana right now so I'm just going to go home" Brittany states while walking towards the door.

"Really?" Mercedes asks.

"Yeah" Brittany nods before leaving. Mercedes just stands there and inwardly rolls her eyes at herself because her plan majorly backfired.

"Did I just see Brittany leave?" Quinn asks as she hurriedly walks over to Mercedes, pulling Santana behind her by the wrist.

"Ouch" Santana glares at her best friend while pulling her arm away. "Wait…did you just say Brittany was here?" she asks.

"She was but she saw you and had to leave because she didn't want you two to start fighting" Mercedes replies.

"Well she did say that she didn't want to work on us anymore so I'm not surprised she left" Santana states.

"Santana you can't really get hurt here because you did break up with her" Quinn points out.

"Would you like to get back together?" Mercedes wonders.

"Yes, and I never meant for it all to end up like this. On the other hand though, I don't want to mess her around and give her mixed signals either. I mean she said it herself that she doesn't want to try anymore so what am I meant to do?" Santana replies.

"I still think you should fight for her" Quinn states.

* * *

Brittany has just been offered another catering role so she's feeling a little more optimistic this morning. It's nothing big but someone she used to work with at the diner was looking for someone to bake a birthday cake for their mom and thought of Brittany. The cost of making the cake and what the woman pays for it still doesn't mean she's making much money but like Mercedes said, everything is a step in the right direction so she's keeping positive at the moment. She doesn't actually need to start making it until next week though since the cake is for next weekend so she's got a free day today so she thought it might be nice to go and visit Alma Lopez and see how she's getting on. They both have a bit of a soft spot for one another so she likes going to chat to her.

Brittany has just arrived at Alma's house and is waiting patiently outside for her to open the door. She feels bad that she had to make Alma answer the door but there was no other way to get in.

"Oh Brittany, what a lovely surprise. Come on in" Alma says as she answers the door.

"Thank you" Brittany says while stepping inside. "I brought these for you" she says while handing Alma a box with 2 cupcakes inside.

"Oh, you didn't need to do that" Alma says gratefully.

"I know you like them so I wanted to" Brittany replies as they walk to the living room.

"Do you want something to drink?" Alma asks.

"I'll take some coffee but you sit down and I'll make it for the two of us" Brittany assure Alma.

"Ok, if you insist" Alma smiles. She then sits down in her chair and Brittany makes them some coffee. Brittany then comes through with the coffee and brings through one of the cupcakes for Alma.

"There you go" Brittany says while placing the coffee and cake down on the table.

"I don't want to be the only one eating so why don't you take that other cupcake" Alma suggests.

"I made them both for you" Brittany replies.

"Take it so I'm not eating alone" Alma smiles.

"Ok" Brittany smiles while going to the kitchen to get the other cupcake. "So how are you keeping, I haven't seen you in so long since I've been away for 8 weeks."

"Just the same really. I'm still not getting any younger" Alma jokes.

"I hear your about to become a great grandmother since Marc and Joanne are having a baby" Brittany says. She found out through Mercedes that Santana's brother's wife was pregnant.

"That is exciting, yes" Alma says happily as she starts eating her cupcake. "Actually, thinking of cupcakes, I actually have something for you too" she says just remembering that Brittany wasn't the only one to give the other something.

"Oh really" Brittany says intrigued.

"Yeah" Alma nods before digging into her purse and bringing out a cheque and handing it to Brittany.

"What on earth is this?" Brittany asks confused.

"I want you to put the money towards your new venture. I know it's not much but it should help you set up your own cake business or catering company, whichever you really want" Alma replies.

"I can't take this, it wouldn't be right" Brittany replies. She's grateful for the thought but Alma really doesn't need to do this for her.

"Of course it's right" Alma smiles.

"Look, give this money to someone else like your family or something" Brittany states.

"You're supposed to be part of the family because you're supposed to be my granddaughter in law but we all know who's fault it is that you're not" Alma replies.

"Please give this money to Santana or her parents or brother. You really don't need to be giving it to me when they're your family" Brittany says seriously. She doesn't feel it's right for Alma to give her money when the Lopez's are her own family.

"Santana's dad is my son so him and his wife will get everything of mine when I die plus, I did give them a little something recently regarding money and I've already given a cheque to my grandson so now I want to help you" Alma replies.

"Ok but what about your granddaughter" Brittany points out. There is no way she will accept money if Santana doesn't get any.

"Santana will get money when she stops breaking your heart" Alma says seriously.

"Oh, you can't do that" Brittany shakes her head. Santana did hurt her but she doesn't think this is fair to not give Santana money just because of that.

"I'm kidding, that's not actually why she hasn't been given a cheque yet" Alma smiles.

"Ok, phew" Brittany says in relief.

"She's not getting a cheque until I know she's working hard. She complains day and night about how she hates her current job but the girl hasn't done anything about it. She's not even applied for any other jobs in months so when she puts the effort in then she'll get her cheque" Alma replies.

"So, it's a little incentive for her to get her butt into gear?" Brittany asks. She finds it a little harsh but she understands because Santana won't find a new job if she doesn't try so hopefully she will try if the prospect of money is involved.

"Exactly" Alma nods. "You've tried and you know how hard it is to try to achieve what you want but Santana hasn't done anything to change so until she looks for another job if she hates this one so much then she doesn't get the cheque. The money is not to play with, it's to help her get what she wants but if she isn't willing to make a start then she doesn't need the money" she points out.

"I suppose that makes sense" Brittany smiles. She and Alma continue to talk for a while until they hear someone come in the door.

"That could actually be my granddaughter, she said she might pop in today" Alma points out.

"Couldn't you have told me that when I got here and I'd have left already" Brittany says panicked.

"I could have but I chose not to" Alma smirks. Before she can say anything else, Santana walks into the room.

"Brittany what are you doing here, I thought you wanted nothing to do with me?" Santana states.

"I don't" Brittany shrugs.

"Then what are you doing here and how did you even know I would be coming here right now?" Santana asks.

"Don't flatter yourself Santana. I am here to see your grandmother not you" Brittany replies.

"Oh" Santana says sadly.

"I know she's hurt you Brittany but Santana never was the cleverest so I would try and understand her point and get back together" Alma states.

"Thank you for that grandma" Santana says rolling her eyes at her grandma.

"I'm done messing around now. I just want to get on with my life" Brittany points out.

"See grandma, she doesn't want to get back together" Santana states.

"Oh, pull the other one, I know the two of you would love nothing more than to get back together but you're both so stupid and stubborn to see it" Alma says while shaking her head. She knows they should be together so she's going to make them see sense.

"I should really go now because the whole breakup thing and everything is exhausting me" Brittany says while standing up and heading towards the door.

"OH!" Alma screams in pain while clutching her chest.

"Grandma, are you ok" Santana asks frantically as Brittany hurriedly walks back over.

"Alma are you in pain?" Brittany asks worriedly.

"It's my chest" Alma whispers while still holding her hand on her chest.

"I think we should get you to the hospital" Brittany says. She doesn't know that much about Alma's health issues but considering she is clutching her chest then she thinks it would be safe to get her checked out.

"No, no hospital" Alma says panicked.

"I know you don't like the hospital but we should go" Santana replies. She's terrified right now that there's something wrong with her grandma.

"No, I'll be fine in a minute, if you girls just stay with me just now" Alma says while reaching out to hold onto both Brittany and Santana's hands.

"Ok" Brittany nods. She'll do whatever it takes to make sure Alma is ok.

"Wait a minute" Santana says while looking at her grandma and narrowing her eyes at her. "You're not even in any pain, are you?" she asks.

"Of course I am Santana" Alma replies with a snap at Santana.

"Well you've moved your hand from your chest so I'm guessing it doesn't hurt anymore and you're talking normally again and you don't even want to go to the hospital" Santana points out.

"I think that's a little harsh Santana because I doubt you're grandma would do this deliberately. I mean it doesn't make any sense" Brittany replies.

"She wants us to talk and you're about out the door when suddenly she has pains in her chest, that's not really a coincidence is it?" Santana states.

"It could be" Brittany shrugs.

"But it's not" Alma sighs. "Santana is right" she adds.

"You can't do things like that grandma because you have serious health issues so it's not something to joke about because when you are ill, I won't believe you and you could die" Santana says unamused at her grandma.

"You two need to sort this out because as I keep saying I'm not getting any younger so I would like to be at the wedding which can't happen if you're not together" Alma states.

"Grandma please stop this, it's not your business" Santana says getting annoyed.

* * *

It's a few days later and Santana is once again moping around in her apartment, eating ice cream and lying on the couch watching TV. She just can't seem to get out of this funk at the moment since her breakup with Brittany. She's just about to change the channel on the TV since she's getting bored of what she's watching when someone knocks at the door. She groans aloud because she doesn't really feel like company right now but gets up to answer the door anyway. As soon as she opens the door, she's a little bit shocked at who is standing there.

"Brittany, hi" Santana says in shock.

"Hi" Brittany replies.

"What are you doing here?" Santana asks confused. She didn't think Brittany wanted to talk to her at the moment.

"I'm moving in" Brittany shrugs before sneaking past Santana at the door while dragging her suitcases behind her.

"I'm sorry, what?" Santana asks. She was in shock before but this is on another level now. She did not expect Brittany to say something like that.

"You asked me weeks ago so finally here I am" Brittany states before quickly making herself at home by taking her things to Santana's empty room and then heading to the kitchen to make herself some coffee. Santana just stands there watching Brittany in shock because she has no idea what all of this means. Yes, she did ask Brittany to move in since her roommate moved out but that was before they broke up so is Brittany just a roommate now or are they friends or does Brittany even want to try again, Santana has no idea.

* * *

Is them moving in together a mistake or will it draw them close again?


	14. Roommates

Chapter 14: Roommates

 _"I'm moving in" Brittany shrugs before sneaking past Santana at the door while dragging her suitcases behind her._

 _"I'm sorry, what?" Santana asks. She was in shock before but this is on another level now. She did not expect Brittany to say something like that._

 _"You asked me weeks ago so finally here I am" Brittany states before quickly making herself at home by taking her things to Santana's empty room and then heading to the kitchen to make herself some coffee. Santana just stands there watching Brittany in shock because she has no idea what all of this means. Yes, she did ask Brittany to move in since her roommate moved out but that was before they broke up so is Brittany just a roommate now or are they friends or does Brittany even want to try again, Santana has no idea._

"I don't understand any of this Brittany" Santana states.

"Look, you have a spare room and need the rent and I'm a grown woman who needs to leave her parents house and get on with her life. Plus, I need somewhere to start my business and my parent's house is too busy. At least here you'll be at work most of the day so I'll have the kitchen to myself" Brittany replies.

"I get that but we've just broke up Brittany so why would you choose to live with me and not Mercedes or another friend that has a spare room" Santana asks.

"Because you asked me to move in so why bother asking anyone else when I already know I can come here" Brittany shrugs.

"We're not together Brittany so it's different" Santana sighs.

"Do you need the rent?" Brittany asks.

"That's not the point" Santana states.

"Yes or no?" Brittany asks.

"Yes" Santana nods.

"Ok and I have rent now to pay you. Your gran gave me the money to start my business but she didn't say I couldn't use it to rent an apartment while building my dream" Brittany shrugs.

"Hold on, my grandma gave you money?" Santana asks shocked.

"Sure did" Brittany smiles.

"Why is she giving you money and not me?" Santana asks offended. Brittany then goes on to tell her the story about how she's not the only one to get a cheque and the reason why Santana doesn't have one. "Wow, I knew she was pissed at me for hurting you but this is harsh."

"You just need to show her that you are willing to put yourself out there career wise" Brittany says.

"I don't want her stupid money; I just want to be treated equally as my brother. Just because my life is a mess doesn't mean I don't deserve whatever he gets" Santana sighs.

"She's just doing it to motivate you to look for a better job because let's be honest, you haven't applied for anything in months. If you don't work for something it won't happen. A job won't just turn up unless you look for openings and apply" Brittany states.

"Who the hell wants to hire me" Santana says deflated.

"I had that same attitude but I'm hoping things are turning around for me now so the same will happen with you Santana. One thing I know for sure is that you're extremely talented at whatever you do so there's something out there for you" Brittany says honestly.

"I suppose" Santana nods. They're silent for a second before Santana quickly remembers what they were previously talking about. Her career doesn't matter right now, Brittany moving in is the important point here. "Look let's circle back to you moving in. It just doesn't make sense why you would want to" she states.

"Yes, we're not together anymore and it might take some getting used to but you have a room and I need someplace to stay so this all works out" Brittany replies. There's no way she would be comfortable renting a room from someone she doesn't know so this seems better than that.

"We're not in a good place Brittany so if we ever want to have any future together whether it's being together or just friends, we don't want this to mess things up" Santana points out.

"We also can't go on hating each other so let's try this because we both could benefit from this. Like you say even if we can't ever be together again, at least I'm out of my parents house and you're getting to split your rent" Brittany reasons.

"Ok, fine" Santana sighs. It doesn't seem like the best idea to her but she's getting to live with Brittany so that's a positive because she really misses her. Brittany wouldn't admit it aloud but she is happier being around Santana in some way than not seeing or speaking to her at all.

* * *

It's some days later and it's the weekend so Brittany and Mercedes are hanging out at Mercedes's place. Brittany has finished her work for the day and Mercedes is off tomorrow so they figured they would have a glass of wine and a catch up. Mercedes is especially looking forward to it to see what the hell is going on with Brittany because she knows she couldn't live with an ex no matter the time frame since they broke up.

"Why did you really move in with her Brittany?" Mercedes wonders. She likes Santana and wants her and Brittany back together but it doesn't mean it doesn't concern her after everything that happened. She doesn't want them to rush back together.

"Because I needed to move out of my parents' house if I wanted to at least make something of this cake business and Santana needed a roommate" Brittany shrugs.

"Is that all it is?" Mercedes asks.

"I know it's going to be hard but I can't live without her anymore. I'm still hurt so I don't think I'm ready to be in a relationship with her again right now and I mean she probably doesn't want that either but at least this way I'm still getting to see her" Brittany admits.

"Isn't that hard though?" Mercedes worries.

"It's hard but not as hard as the thought of never seeing her again. This gives me an excuse to be around her and I like that. If I'm ever lucky enough for her to want me back then maybe it'll happen" Brittany replies.

"Santana wants you back as much as you want her back" Mercedes assures Brittany.

"Even if that's true we couldn't just get back together without sorting through things" Brittany reasons. "Do you really believe that though that we both want to be together again?" she asks.

"I do and Quinn thinks so too so we just need to get you and Santana on the right path and things will work out" Mercedes states.

"Do you and Quinn talk a lot?" Brittany asks curiously.

"Since our best friends ditched us to make out all the time then Quinn and I have become friendly. Certainly not as friendly as you and Santana were when you first met but we're good friends now" Mercedes replies.

"So, you two talk a lot about Santana and me?" Brittany wonders.

"Not a lot but it does come up from time to time" Mercedes says. "We both practically hear the same thing from you both and think you two are meant to be together. I know you need space to work things out but Santana didn't mean what she did, surely you have to know that" she adds.

"I've got a rough idea why she did it but I didn't realise at the time what she really meant so I thought she literally wanted me to pick between her and a career" Brittany says. Any other time it would have been a no brainer but there was a lot at stake when Santana gave her the ultimatum.

"She loves you Brittany and you love her so tread carefully. Don't do anything either of the two of you will regret" Mercedes tells Brittany.

"I won't but I also can't deny how frustrated I am with the situation we're in" Brittany sighs. Santana hasn't fully explained to Brittany why she did what she did so it annoys Brittany that she won't talk. Also though, Brittany doesn't feel ready to talk to Santana about her feelings yet so she's frustrated with herself.

"Why don't you stay here tonight to give yourself some time to think about things?" Mercedes suggests. Neither of them is working tomorrow plus it might give her some to think about whether moving in with Santana really is right for the moment.

"I'd rather stay at Santana's place" Brittany admits. Sleeping with a bedroom wall separating them is so much better than sleeping in different places.

"You're making this harder for yourself to comprehend if you spent so much time with Santana. I mean you're free to do what you want but always being around her won't give you time to process things" Mercedes points out.

"It'll make it better actually because if we're meant to be then it'll make me want to continue to stay there which means I'll want to work things out with her so we can be together. If I don't want us to be together then it'll become apparent the more we spend time together" Brittany reasons.

"Ok, fine" Mercedes nods. She isn't in a position to tell Brittany what to do but she doesn't want either Brittany or Santana to get even more hurt so she just hopes this doesn't make things worse.

* * *

The first few weeks of living together for them is a little weird. Not only aren't they together at the moment so things are weird but they've also never experienced living together at all so it's taking some time to get used to. They've stayed the night with each other many times in the relationship but living together and spending that much time together is different for them. Things especially get weird when Brittany walks into the bathroom to brush her teeth only to find Santana stark naked in the shower. She perhaps stayed in there a little longer than she meant to which Santana wasn't thrilled about but at the same time, it did give Santana some confidence that Brittany still found her attractive.

The next three weeks after that were weird but for a different reason this time. They were sort of accustomed to living together by the second week but Santana's shift pattern changed so they saw very little of one another. She started working later shifts so she would be home when Brittany was already in bed and would wake up late in the morning because of how tired she was and Brittany would be already away out to do what she had to for her new catering venture. Even though they won't admit to one another, they really have missed each other. Being broke up and living together was better than being broke up and never seeing each other again so it was a sort of comfort for them for the first few weeks but now it's tough. The only thing keeping Santana optimistic about things is that her shift pattern will return to normal next week since it was just a temporary thing while the building she was working in was being renovated.

Santana is currently hanging out with Quinn on their break at work. "How are things with Brittany at the moment?" Quinn wonders.

"They're ok I guess" Santana shrugs. "I made the worst mistake of my life breaking up with her but I can't change that now so I just need to look to the future" she says.

"Do you want to get back together?" Quinn asks.

"I really do because I know what I did was wrong but I'm worried she won't trust me anymore" Santana admits. There hasn't been a day that's gone by that she hasn't wished they were still together.

"I think eventually she'll trust you" Quinn smiles. "You just need to make sure she knows why you did what you did and that you didn't mean for things to spiral out of control."

"I'm currently living with her but I miss her so much Quinn, what do I do?" Santana asks. She wants to explain what happened to Brittany but she also wants to move on and make Brittany aware that she still loves her and wants to be with her.

"You just need to talk to her and tell her what happened and what you want to happen from now on" Quinn replies.

"I don't want to scare her away though, I've only just somewhat got her back in my life" Santana says.

"You need to talk about what happened before you can move on. For both of your sakes Santana so please at least talk to her" Quinn says.

"Do I tell her I want to get back together with her?" Santana asks.

"You can but you can't be surprised if she isn't ready yet. You just need to make sure she knows you're serious about her and willing to do what it takes to make things right" Quinn points out.

"Ok" Santana nods.

"Do remember though that this isn't all on you. Brittany did make a few mistakes too so it can't be all one sided. It is acceptable for you to tell her what you need from her too to make things work if she wants to" Quinn tells Santana.

"I think I made the bigger mistake though" Santana sighs.

"The bottom line here is that nothing can move forward without you both talking so do that. Once these nightmare shifts finish and we get back into a normal pattern, have a sit down with her and both of you explain what you want from here on in" Quinn states.

"Ok, I can do that" Santana nods.

"In the meantime though, we need to get back to work" Quinn points out.

"Yeah" Santana agrees. They both then go back to their desks and get back to work. Santana is slightly clearer on how to handle things but it still doesn't help her nerves. She's still quite nervous that talking could lead to an argument and totally ruin things for them completely.

* * *

It's been two months now that Brittany and Santana have been living together and things are beginning to be ok. They're not where both of them want them to be but they're ok for the situation they're in. Brittany wants to get back together but she's really struggling personally to work things out and Santana just wants to give Brittany space because she knows if she has a chance then she needs to respect Brittany more.

Brittany is currently baking a wedding cake in the kitchen when Santana walks in. She's got the day off from work so she's just wearing some sweatpants and having a relaxing day. She goes over to the kettle and makes herself some coffee.

"Do you want some coffee?" Santana asks Brittany.

"No thanks" Brittany smiles.

"What about some lunch, I'm quite hungry" Santana says.

"No, I don't have time to sit down and eat anything right now. I'm on a deadline" Brittany states.

"Ok" Santana replies sadly. She was hoping to spend some time together having lunch. They don't really hang out even though they live together so Santana tries to get them to at least eat together. Things really aren't how they were before they started dating so they don't spend time together but they take comfort being somewhat close to each other, even if that's in separate rooms.

"Maybe we could have dinner together if I get this finished on time" Brittany smiles.

"I'd like that" Santana smiles back.

"I'm just really busy right now, sorry" Brittany states.

"It's fine" Santana shrugs. She's not going to get too hung up on this at the moment because they aren't in a place to be fully comfortable around each other yet.

"I love what I've been doing these last couple of months and it's working out so far but I just wish I had more money so I could actually hire people to help me" Brittany sighs. The catering thing is working out and she's definitely making more money than before but it's still not enough to hire anyone and be able to pay them.

"Maybe you need to find someone to help you that doesn't need to be paid" Santana states.

"I know but who is going to have time. My family all work and my friends are rather busy too so I don't know anyone else that would be willing to work unpaid" Brittany replies. Another pair of hands would be really good though, especially now since the wedding cake needs to be done by tomorrow.

"Do you know Santana Lopez?" Santana asks with a smirk.

"What?" Brittany asks with a confused chuckle.

"Do you want some help?" Santana asks with a smile.

"Sure" Brittany shrugs.

"Ok" Santana says surprised. She did offer her help but she didn't think Brittany would accept so quickly considering the way things are with each other. They like being close but not being that close if that makes sense.

"If you could make a start on the fondant then that would be good" Brittany tells Santana.

"And I would do that how?" Santana asks. She's really not much of a baker so even though she's offered Brittany help, she doesn't really know what she's doing.

"Man, you're so cute sometimes" Brittany says before quickly regretting it. "Uh…anyway" she says while clearing her throat before showing Santana what to do.

"It looks great so far so I want to apologise in advance if I mess it up for you" Santana states.

"I'm sure it'll be ok. If I think things aren't working out then I'll relegate you to washing the dishes for me while I finish the cake" Brittany smiles.

"Ok, deal" Santana laughs.

"Anyway, are you ok with what you need to do right now?" Brittany asks.

"I am" Santana nods and then gets to work. Brittany meanwhile goes back to what she was doing.

After finishing the cake together, Santana made them something to eat. It was a sort of a late lunch/early dinner for them. They then cleared up together before going to the living room and watching some TV together. Brittany promised Santana that after she had a little rest, she'd make her a nice dessert to thank her for helping her today. That's sort of the reason they hung out together instead of retreating to their bedrooms like they usually do. Usually after eating together they go and do their own thing but with Brittany promising to make them something else to eat then it meant the night wasn't over so they didn't need to head to their rooms.

"Do you want some wine?" Santana asks as Brittany is preparing them some dessert.

"I would love some" Brittany nods. Santana has another day off tomorrow and Brittany hasn't got anything planned so they both figured a little glass of wine wouldn't hurt.

"I won a bottle of red in a raffle at work the other day, shall we try that?" Santana suggests.

"Sounds good, I can drink any kind of wine" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana nods. She then pours them both some wine and takes the glasses through to the living room while Brittany finishes up the dessert and takes the bowls through with some spoons.

"Ok, dessert isn't that exciting since anything really good would need to at least set and take some time but I do remember you used to like my sponge cake with the chocolate that oozes out of the middle so I got us some of that with ice cream" Brittany says. She made the dessert the other day and then didn't need it for the party she was catering so she figured she and Santana could eat it now.

"I like all sweet things so I'm good with anything, especially anything involving chocolate" Santana smiles.

"Ok good" Brittany smiles back. They then sit down together and begin eating. Once they finish the dessert, Santana washes up their dishes and joins Brittany back in the living room.

"I haven't finished my wine yet so I'm not going to go to bed just yet" Santana says while sitting down next to Brittany.

"Yeah I'm not finished either" Brittany replies. She's been deliberately drinking her wine slowly so it takes her longer to drink therefore allows her to spend a longer time with Santana.

The two of them sit in silence for 10 minutes as each of them drink their wine excruciatingly slowly to prolong their time together. Neither of them really knows what to say right now which is why things are so silent. They like having time together but at the same time neither of them wants to dampen it by talking about their issues.

"Maybe we should watch a movie or something together" Brittany suggests.

"Ok" Santana replies surprised.

"Neither of us are finished our wine yet so we might as well watch a movie as we drink. I've got almost half a glass of wine left so I've definitely got time to fit in a movie" Brittany says.

"I feel the same" Santana agrees. Brittany then puts on a movie and they sit quietly next to each other, watching the TV screen. Ever so slowly Brittany moves closer to Santana but not enough for Santana to fully realise it right away. It's only when their thighs brush against one another that Santana notices Brittany so close.

"Sorry" Brittany apologises while beginning to move away slightly. She meant to move closer to Santana but she meant to be more discrete about it and not let herself touch Santana.

"Don't" Santana stops Brittany as she takes her hand and pulls her back towards her. "I have really been avoiding talking about things tonight in case it made things worse but I miss you like crazy Brittany" she admits.

"Me too" Brittany says in relief. She wanted Santana to know but she didn't know how to say it so she's glad Santana has said something now. "I don't think we can just fall back into how we used to be without dealing with things first" she points out.

"I know and I totally agree" Santana nods.

"It has been really good to kind of forget about everything tonight and to just relax with a glass of wine and enjoy each other's company" Brittany says.

"It has and hopefully we'll get there again" Santana says optimistically.

"I hope so too" Brittany agrees. They fall into a silence for a moment as they just sit with each other, Santana still holding onto Brittany's hand and their legs still brushed together.

"I still love you" Santana admits, breaking the silence.

"I know you do" Brittany nods. She knows Santana well enough to know what they did have was genuine. She still loves Santana so she knows Santana isn't going to fall out of love that quickly when she knows they felt the same about one another.

"I never meant to hurt you" Santana adds. "I've mentioned it numerous times before that I'm insecure and for some reason it just flared up again in me even though I know I meant a lot to you."

"Deep down I think I know that but it is hard to get over and understand" Brittany admits.

"I get that and I want to explain things more so if you don't mind, I'd like us to talk now" Santana replies.

"Ok" Brittany nods.

"I don't want a fight though so can we promise to hear each other out first before we get all high about the situation" Santana says.

"Yeah" Brittany nods again.

XXX

After having a long talk together and explaining to each other what happened, Brittany and Santana seem a little clearer on what went wrong. They both understand the other person's feelings and know why they each did what they did. It doesn't make it any easier to hear though because it just reminds them about how happy they were before things went sour. When they first got together, they thought they had been through a lot so nothing would ruin that again but it did so it frustrated them.

"What are we doing right now?" Santana asks. She's not really sure how things go from here.

"We're getting back on track by starting as friends again" Brittany replies. This is the first night there hasn't been any awkwardness around them so she wants to ease in slowly and do things properly. Jumping into a relationship right now would mess things up so it's friends and then slowly work back towards being together.

"But you are open to possibly getting back together with me?" Santana asks.

"That's always been the goal" Brittany smiles.

"Ok" Santana sighs in relief.

"We need to talk about things though if we feel we need to talk. We can't just bottle it up because we're scared it'll mean we won't get back together" Brittany points out.

"I understand that" Santana smiles.

"So, since we're friends now, we can start hanging out properly" Brittany says and Santana nods. "Let's start now and put this shit off the TV and watch something more fun."

"Good idea" Santana laughs. She didn't want to admit it but the movie was really boring her to tears.

* * *

It's another two months later and things have been going great for Brittany and Santana. They're not a couple yet but they've had a really good two months together. They've hung out lots together and even went to a few events together to keep each other company. Santana had a work party so Brittany accompanied her and Brittany got invited to a party for someone she did a few catering gigs for so Santana went with her. They also have breakfast together every morning and when Brittany doesn't have a lot going on, she makes Santana some lunch to take to work with her. Santana has also helped steer Brittany in the right line with her catering company regarding finances since she has a degree in finance.

"Hey honey" Brittany smiles as Santana walks into the apartment after a hard day of work.

"Hey" Santana smiles back. She has to admit; the pet name really made her tingle a little with warmth. It's been a while since they've been like that with one another.

"I'm just making some dinner right now for us" Brittany says as she walks to the kitchen with Santana following her. "I hope you haven't eaten yet" she adds as an afterthought.

"I haven't" Santana replies. Secretly she was hoping they could sit down to dinner together.

"Good" Brittany smiles again. "I have to admit, I do have an ulterior motive tonight as to why I'm making you dinner."

"Ok" Santana says excitedly. She really hopes this could finally be them getting back together.

"I know I've been taking up a lot of your time recently but I need some financial advice again" Brittany points out.

"Oh" Santana says, feeling a little less excited now.

"I know, I'm sorry. I will stop annoying you after tonight. I just need one last bit of help" Brittany says feeling bad for pestering Santana all the time.

"Don't apologise" Santana smiles. "I just thought you were going to say something else but it's ok, I'm happy to help you" she assures Brittany.

"Ok good" Brittany smiles back. Once dinner is ready, they sit down together in the kitchen and begin eating.

"I like when we sit down properly and eat instead of sitting in front of the TV with our plates on our laps" Santana says.

"Yeah, me too" Brittany agrees. She won't admit it aloud right now but she prefers eating at a table more because it's more date like than sitting slumped on the couch, spilling food everywhere.

After they finish eating, Santana insists on clearing up alone since Brittany made dinner. Brittany has been making them dinner a lot recently so Santana figured the least she could do was doing the washing up and tidying up. Brittany has been putting in the effort with regards them so she's going to do the same. They're now sitting in the living room together, just relaxing.

"Can I speak to you about that financial thing now?" Brittany asks.

"Sure, fire away" Santana smiles.

"Ok so I was dropping the birthday cake off for that party today and I was speaking to this lady and we got talking about careers and stuff and she said she knew of this job opening so I need your opinion on it because it's not for me" Brittany replies.

"Ok" Santana nods.

"From the point of view of someone with a financial degree, is this the kind of job someone like you would be looking for?" Brittany wonders as she shows Santana the advert on her phone. Santana studies the job advert for a moment working out what it is and all the qualifications they need. It's for the position of a financial adviser for a large banking agency.

"Definitely" Santana nods. "It's only a training position but with the hope of becoming a fully trained financial advisor so I would definitely say it's the right job. It's also a paid position so while they're being trained, they're being compensated and it has the potential to lead to a permanent job with a great salary and benefits" she adds.

"That's what I thought so fill your boots" Brittany smiles brightly at Santana.

"What?" Santana asks confused.

"You're perfect for it so apply for the job babe" Brittany tells Santana.

"Did you just call me babe?" Santana asks taken aback. She certainly hasn't been called that by Brittany in a very long time.

"That's what you took from that" Brittany laughs. "I found you the perfect job and all you heard was me calling you babe" she says.

"Right, sorry" Santana says realising. "It does look like a great position for me but I graduated a long time ago so I don't think they'll want me. They'll want someone recently graduated who has fresh knowledge" she admits.

"I spoke to the lady and she is keen to hear from you so you could really be in with a shot here" Brittany replies. She pulled a few strings for this so Santana should at least be guaranteed an interview for the job.

"Thank you so much Brittany" Santana says while excitedly hugging her.

"You're smart so have some confidence about this" Brittany tells Santana.

"Will you come with me if I get the chance of an interview?" Santana asks.

"I'll do whatever you want to help you" Brittany says honestly. She wants Santana to get another job so bad because she really hates where she is working so she'll do whatever it takes to help.

"Thank you" Santana says gratefully. "I'll fill out the application tomorrow because I'm too tired tonight so I don't want to write something stupid" she adds.

"That's fair enough" Brittany smiles. "Hey, can I ask you something personal?" she asks after a moment or so.

"Sure" Santana shrugs.

"What did you think I wanted to talk about earlier?" she asks. She noticed Santana seemed a little down when she said it was something financial.

"I thought it was going to be about us and when I say us, I mean as in relationship wise" Santana clarifies.

"Oh" Brittany says surprised.

"I thought maybe you were going to tell me we could get back together" Santana admits.

"Is that something that you want?" Brittany asks.

"Of course I still want that but it's been a long time so do you still want that?" Santana asks.

"I definitely do" Brittany nods. "I just want us to tread carefully" she admits.

"I know but I don't want to hang on waiting on something that might not ever happen so I need to know you still want that" Santana says.

"I do" Brittany assures Santana.

"I got asked out on a date tonight" Santana admits quietly.

"That's nice" Brittany nods.

"I said no" Santana replies.

"You don't have to say no because of me" Brittany assures Santana.

"I do have to say no because I want to get back together with you. I know we can't right now but it doesn't mean I'm going to stray from you. You're who I want to be with and you're who I will be with as soon as you think it's appropriate" Santana states.

"I am serious about us, I just need some time" Brittany says. "I'm glad you said no to the date though" she smiles.

"I'm glad too" Santana smiles back. "Anyway, I'm a little tired so I might head to bed now" she says.

"Ok, talk to you in the morning" Brittany says while hugging Santana before she leaves.

Santana then changes for bed and brushes her teeth before settling in bed. She falls asleep almost instantly which isn't a surprise really since she's been so tired recently. She's just having a nice dream when she hears her name being called and her bed slightly dip behind her.

"Santana" Brittany whispers.

"Yeah?" Santana asks tiredly as she turns around to face Brittany. Brittany doesn't respond right away, instead she smiles at Santana for a moment before leaning in and kissing her. "Ok, I'm awake" she says, suddenly feeling as bright as button.

"Go on a date with me on Friday" Brittany states. She doesn't so much as ask Santana; she more so tells her.

"Uh…ok" Santana replies. She was never going to say no anyway. "Why have you changed your mind so suddenly. I thought you wanted some more space to think?" she asks confused.

"I thought about it the whole time you were in bed tonight and I realise now that maybe I have been ripping the piss out of things so let's go on a date. There's space and there's outer space and the time I have waited is more like the distance to outer space than giving someone space" Brittany replies.

"Ok" Santana smiles.

"The fact people are asking you out did also help because I don't want that happening again so I need to get things back on track and stat" Brittany states.

"That's cute" Santana smiles again. She gets it though because if anyone asks Brittany out then she'll be all over them and not in a good way. She doesn't share Brittany so she gets why Brittany doesn't want her with anyone else.

"Seriously though, let's get back to how we used to be because it's been too long" Brittany says.

"I agree" Santana nods. "Do you want to spend the night with me?" she asks while lifting the cover up so Brittany can get in.

"I don't want to rush things too much. Maybe we should date first and then…"

"I didn't mean for sex; I meant for comfort. I just really miss lying next to you" Santana replies, cutting Brittany off.

"Ok, I can do that then" Brittany smiles while quickly getting under the covers with Santana.


	15. Yes!

Chapter 15: Yes!

Santana is peacefully sleeping in bed when she turns around to get more comfortable, only to find Brittany sleeping quietly beside her. It takes her a second to remember that last night wasn't a dream and Brittany did crawl into bed next to her and ask her to go on a date this weekend. A smile instantly graces her face and she moves in closer to wrap her arms around Brittany. She isn't likely to get back to sleep now since she's woken herself up but she doesn't care. She would rather be tired and in Brittany's arms than sleeping without her.

"Hi" Brittany whispers with a smile on her face as she feels Santana's arms around her.

"Good morning" Santana replies before kissing the top of Brittany's head.

"I like that we've woken to one another this morning" Brittany says with a smile. Every other morning they've been living together, they've woken up alone in bed.

"Yeah me too" Santana nods. Then just as she leans in to kiss Brittany, Brittany pulls away.

"What's wrong?" Santana asks confused. They literally only decided to get back together last night but she didn't think a kiss would be out of the question right now since they've been together before.

"You haven't brushed your teeth yet" Brittany smirks.

"That's just rude" Santana says, feigning annoyance.

"I'm only messing, now come here" Brittany says while gently tilting Santana's head before kissing her.

After spending a while in bed together, they both reluctantly get up and get organised for the day. Santana has work to go to and Brittany has some baking to do for another catering job. They're quickly grabbing breakfast together just now before Santana needs to leave.

"I can help you with that job application tonight if you want" Brittany suggests.

"That would be great, thank you" Santana smiles.

"I've got a lot to do today but by the time you're home and we've eaten dinner, I should be able to help you" Brittany replies.

"Cool" Santana smiles.

Once they're finished breakfast, they finish getting ready and then Santana heads to work. Brittany takes a trip to the grocery store to get a few supplies and then heads back home. She then makes a start on some orders that she has. She's about half way through her preparation when Mercedes turns up at the door for a catch up so they're now in the kitchen, chatting over coffee.

"So how are things?" Mercedes asks.

"They're going ok" Brittany nods. "I'm getting quite a lot of orders at the moment though so I'm getting busy. I still don't think I've made enough money yet though to hire someone to help me" she points out.

"I thought Santana was helping you from time to time?" Mercedes queries.

"She is but she has her own job so I can't ask her to help me all of the time" Brittany points out.

"That's true" Mercedes nods. "If it helps, I'm not working today so I could help you for a while if you need it" she offers. It's not a long-term solution but at least getting on top of things today is something and she has tomorrow free to start on her next order.

"You wouldn't mind?" Brittany asks.

"Of course not, now tell me what to do" Mercedes smiles.

"Ok" Brittany nods. She then tells Mercedes what to do and they both get to work.

"So apart from work, how are things?" Mercedes asks. She knows Brittany and Santana have been getting closer over the last few weeks but she doesn't know to what extent.

"Everything is good" Brittany shrugs.

"Just good?" Mercedes queries.

"More than good I think" Brittany smiles. She really can't keep the smile off her face when she's talking or thinking about Santana. "Santana and I are getting close again and I even asked her out on a date to which she gladly accepted" she adds.

"That's great" Mercedes says happy for Brittany. "So, when's the date?" she asks.

"Friday but I'm not 100% sure what we'll do yet. I said I would plan it so Santana is leaving it up to me so I just need to come up with something nice" Brittany replies. "I want it to be really special and something she'll like so we can start things off on the right foot."

"I think Santana will like anything you two do" Mercedes assures Brittany.

"I hope so" Brittany nods.

* * *

It's a couple of days later which means it's Friday and almost date night for Brittany and Santana. However, they need to do some work before they can go on their date. They're both currently in the kitchen getting some breakfast before they need to get showered and dressed for the day.

"So where are we going tonight?" Santana asks curiously as she makes some coffee.

"We are going to dinner" Brittany smiles. "The name of the restaurant is top secret" she adds.

"Ok, fine, don't tell me. I guess I'll just get a surprise when we get there" Santana smiles.

"No, I mean the restaurant is called Top Secret" Brittany replies.

"Is it really?" Santana asks amused.

"No, I'm just kidding" Brittany smiles. "That would be pretty cool if it was though because everyone could make cool jokes like that to their partners about it."

"It might have seemed joke-like but it certainly wasn't cool babe" Santana teases.

"Ok, whatever you say" Brittany smiles.

"I'm excited about tonight, are you?" Santana asks as she sits down at the table with her breakfast.

"Yeah, of course" Brittany smiles. "I know we have some stuff to work on but I'm looking forward to us finally getting back to where we should be" she adds.

"I am too" Santana nods in agreement.

"I do need to get some work done now though so I'm going to have to just see you later babe because I need to get a few more ingredients for my orders today" Brittany says while quickly drinking her coffee. "I'm going to get changed and then head to the grocery store for like the tenth time this week" she adds.

"Ok, I'll see you tonight then" Santana smiles.

"Yeah" Brittany smiles back. She then quickly kisses Santana and then heads to her room to get changed before rushing to the grocery store.

XXX

The date is almost approaching now so Brittany and Santana are both getting excited. They've both been hard at work today so they're looking forward to the date and being able to just relax and have fun together. They've not really had a chance to hang out much the last couple of days because of work so tonight is even more special. Brittany is just finishing clearing up from what she was baking today when she hears Santana come through the door.

"Hey you" Brittany smiles.

"Hi" Santana smiles back as she makes her way over to Brittany. "I miss you today" she says before leaning in to kiss Brittany.

"I missed you too" Brittany replies.

"When do we leave to head out to dinner?" Santana asks.

"It's booked for 7pm" Brittany replies.

"I better go and shower then and make myself look beautiful or you'll be seriously regretting getting back together with me" Santana says.

"Don't be silly, you look beautiful already" Brittany smiles.

"Thank you" Santana says before kissing Brittany's cheek. "Anyway, I will shower now" she says before heading towards the bathroom.

Once they're both ready, they leave and head out on their date. They decided to take a cab just in case they wanted to drink tonight. The restaurant is relatively close to the apartment so they get there reasonably quickly. They walk inside and get shown to their reserved table before getting seated.

"Can I get you ladies something to drink while you're looking over the menu?" the waiter asks.

"Shall we get a bottle of wine for the table?" Santana asks.

"Sure, why not" Brittany smiles.

"We'll take a bottle of your most popular red wine please" Santana tells the waiter. He then goes to get their wine while they look over the menu.

"What are you thinking about having?" Brittany asks Santana.

"I'm not sure yet" Santana replies. "I'm sort of stuck between two things that I really want" she adds.

"We could share if I like the two things you want" Brittany offers.

"Ok, let's do that" Santana smiles. They decide what they want to share and once the waiter comes over with their wine, they order their food.

"I really have missed this" Brittany says honestly. This is probably the most relaxed she's been in a long time and she's really glad they're getting back on track again.

"Me too" Santana nods in agreement.

"On the one hand, I can't wait for us to be normal again but on the other hand, I think this is kinda romantic starting from the start again and being able to go on dates and stuff" Brittany says.

"I get that" Santana smiles. She agrees with that because sometimes she just wants them to be good again but she also likes that feeling of everything being new and exciting again.

"We're both taking the day off work tomorrow so we should do something fun then as well" Brittany suggests.

"I like that idea so maybe I could plan something for us to do then since you planned dinner tonight" Santana replies.

"Sounds good" Brittany smiles.

After having a lovely dinner together and just catching up, they decide to leave. They quickly get the check from the waiter and split it before leaving the restaurant. They're now just walking along the sidewalk hand in hand. Neither of them decided to call a cab just yet because the evening is still early and they didn't really want to go home right now so they ended up just walking along quietly, trying to make the date last as long as it could.

"Do you want to head to Sam's bar for a little bit?" Santana asks. She's having fun with Brittany tonight so she thought it might be nice to stay out a bit more and have a few drinks.

"Apart from dinner tonight, we have been stuck in the apartment every other night so it might be nice to go to the bar and have some more drinks" Brittany smiles.

"Ok cool" Santana smiles back. They then head to the bar.

"Will you order me something to drink while I go to the bathroom?" Brittany asks Santana as they get inside.

"No problem, I'll see you over at the bar" Santana smiles. Brittany then heads to the bathroom and Santana heads over to the bar.

"I haven't seen you two here in a while together" Sam says as he pours them something to drink.

"This is between you and me, but I think we're finally getting back together" Santana says excitedly.

"That's great" Sam says, happy for the two of them.

"We were on a date tonight and I'm pretty sure Brittany said she wants us to get back together so everything is looking good. I haven't told our other friends yet so can you keep it a secret for the moment?" Santana asks Sam.

"Yeah, of course I can" Sam smiles.

"Sorry I took so long, there was a bit of a queue for the toilet" Brittany says while sitting down next to Santana at the bar.

"That's ok" Santana smiles. "Hey why don't we get a table and we can relax without being pushed around by impatient assholes who want to order their drinks" she says while turning to glare at someone beside her.

"Babe, if someone is pushing you then you tell me and I'll push them back" Brittany says seriously. She wont stand for people hurting the girl she loves.

"I think Santana's glare is enough to move them alone" Sam says with a chuckle as he notices the person beside Santana quickly move away.

"It's also kinda cute though" Brittany says while leaning down to kiss Santana's cheek. "Anyway, let's get a table" she adds.

"Yeah" Santana nods. "Thanks for the drinks Sam" she smiles at her friend.

"I'm just grateful you two have started paying for your drinks now. You used to want free drinks all the time" Sam laughs.

"Yeah" Santana laughs.

"I remember the first night you brought me here you made Sam give us free drinks because we really wanted a drink but neither of us had much money to spare" Brittany says as they find a suitable table to sit at.

"Yeah, I gave him some sob story about having no money and hating my job. I mean it's still true but I'm hoping by next year everything will be in place" Santana says.

"I mean I think I'm getting there with my career now so you will too in time" Brittany says optimistically.

"Yeah hopefully" Santana nods.

After having some more drinks and just having fun together, Brittany and Santana finally decided to call it a night. The apartment isn't that far from Sam's bar so they just decided to walk instead of grabbing a cab. They were both sort of grateful that they didn't need to spend money on a cab either because they're still trying to save their money. Brittany is slowly earning more money than she used to but they don't want to blow it all unnecessarily when they have rent and things to pay.

They've now just entered their apartment and Santana has locked the door behind them.

"I had a lot of fun tonight" Santana tells Brittany.

"Me too" Brittany nods. "We felt like us again and how we used to be so it was nice" she adds.

"I think I'm going to get myself a glass of water and then head to bed" Santana says as she drops her purse at the side and takes her shoes off.

"It's getting late so we probably should head to bed" Brittany says in agreement. It has been a really fun night but they were both working before they went out so they're starting to get tired now.

"Yeah" Santana nods.

Santana gets her water and then they both go to their rooms and get changed for bed. Brittany is just brushing her teeth in the bathroom when Santana walks in with the same idea.

"Sorry, I didn't realise you were in here" Santana apologises as she begins to leave the bathroom.

"Don't be silly, come and join me" Brittany smiles. She's only cleaning her teeth so it doesn't bother her if Santana does the same.

"Ok" Santana shrugs. They're silent for a few minutes as they finish off their nightly routine. "So…goodnight" Santana smiles as she finishes.

"Goodnight" Brittany smiles back before leaning in to kiss Santana.

They stand quietly for a moment just sort of awkwardly looking at one another. Neither really want to go to bed right now because it means they'll be apart for the first time in a number of hours however, they've both had a long day so they're tired.

"Are you tired?" Santana asks while gently playing with Brittany's hand.

"A little bit" Brittany replies. "You?" she asks.

"Yeah a little bit" Santana nods in agreement.

"I'm not nearly tired enough to go to bed on my own though" Brittany points out.

"Thank god" Santana states before lunging forward and kissing Brittany passionately. They kiss for a moment or so before Brittany pulls away.

"You know I'm talking about sex, right?" Brittany clarifies.

"Yes, I do" Santana smiles.

"Ok good, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page" Brittany replies.

"Come on, let's go to my room" Santana says while leading Brittany to her bedroom. She then slides onto the bed and pulls Brittany with her.

"I've been dying to do this for months now" Brittany points out as she removes her shirt and leans down to kiss Santana.

"Me too" Santana nods. "We just weren't ever in the right place so I had to restrain myself but honestly, all I have wanted recently is you" she says while sitting up slightly so Brittany can remove her top.

"Prepare to have your world rocked" Brittany smirks as she tosses Santana's shirt to the floor and slowly pushes her back down against the bed. She begins slowly kissing down Santana's body until she gets to the waistband of her pyjamas.

"Just take them off" Santana says, starting to get worked up already.

"Ok" Brittany smiles. They have slept together numerous times before but this is the first time in a long time so she didn't want to be too forward because they're both a little nervous.

Brittany slowly grips either side of Santana's pyjama pants at the waistband and slowly pulls them down her legs. She's just navigated them for under Santana's butt and got them to her ankles where she gets them slightly caught so Santana kicks her leg a little to shake the pants off but only ends up kicking Brittany.

"Thank you" Brittany laughs.

"I'm sorry babe, I was trying to help you get them off my ankle" Santana says, feeling bad for kicking Brittany. "I should have worn looser pyjama pants tonight and not the ones with the tight cuffs at the ankle" she adds.

"It's fine now" Brittany smiles while throwing Santana's pyjamas to the floor and then quickly shimmying out of her own before straddling Santana once more.

"Ok" Santana nods. Her body suddenly heating up as she feels their naked skin on one another.

Brittany slowly leans down and kisses Santana before adjusting her position and once more making her way down Santana's body, leaving a trail of kisses as she goes. As soon as she gets to Santana's core, she moves away slightly and kisses the inside of Santana's thighs.

"Oh god Britt, I need you right now" Santana moans. Brittany has barely been teasing her and she already wants her right now.

"I can see that" Brittany smirks as she sees just how wet Santana is. "You're practically glistening right now" she adds before leaning down to kiss her inner thighs again.

"Please Britt" Santana pants out, her breathing getting quicker and quicker at the anticipation about what's going to happen next.

"Ok honey" Brittany smiles up at Santana before leaning down and entering her folds with her tongue. She started off really slowly but that only agonised Santana even more as she buried her hands in Brittany's hair and pushed her closer to her core.

"Please" Santana moans.

"All in good time" Brittany smiles while spreading Santana's legs even further apart to get better access.

"Let. Me. Help. You" Santana says through a moan.

"It's your turn right now. We can worry about me later" Brittany smiles. As much as she really wants that, this is about Santana right now so she wants Santana to feel good.

"Ok" Santana moans as she digs her nails into Brittany's scalp even more as Brittany slowly adds a finger into the mix. Her tongue alone just wasn't intense enough for her. After some time, Santana eventually comes in Brittany's mouth and she does her best to clean it all up.

"How do you feel?" Brittany asks as she slowly wipes her mouth with her thumb as she moves up the bed to lie next to Santana.

"Really good but also really bad" Santana says as she slowly gets her breath back.

"Why baby?" Brittany asks confused. "You came so wasn't it good for you?" she asks.

"No, you were amazing so I did feel good" Santana assures Brittany as she pecks her lips. "I just felt bad because it was our first time in a while and you made it about me. I wanted you to feel just as good as I did" she adds.

"We have all night babe so there's plenty of time for me plus I get just as much joy from watching you cum as I do when I cum" Brittany smirks.

"Well I want to return the favour right now" Santana smiles while turning to lie on her side. She leans in and kisses Brittany while gently sliding a leg between Brittany's. "Huh…you are a little wet already" she smirks as she feels the moist heat against her thigh.

"All I need to do is just look at you and I'm almost there" Brittany replies.

"You're very sexy right now" Santana says as she kisses Brittany again while slowly sliding her hand down Brittany's body. As soon as she gets close enough to Brittany's center, she trails her hand back up and cups Brittany's breast in her hand.

"Oh god" Brittany moans. She's getting turned on really quite quickly now.

"You like that, huh?" Santana smirks as she leans down and takes Brittany's nipple in her mouth. She slowly sucks on it before gently moving her hand down Brittany's body. She stops at her core and slowly inserts two fingers.

"Oh shit" Brittany moans out again. She was a little surprised because she expected Santana to do it one finger at a time. "That feels so good" she says while pushing Santana's hand closer to her.

"Shall I go a little faster?" Santana teases as she moves her position slightly to get a better angle. She then leans in and kisses Brittany's mouth as she speeds up her movement with her fingers. After some time, Brittany cums all over Santana's fingers. Santana smirks at her before licking her fingers, almost causing Brittany to cum all over again.

After a while together, they both end up just laying in one another's arms, enjoying being together again. Sex is good and everything but it's also times like this that they really enjoy. It's such a simple thing to do to just lie in bed together but it feels so good and relaxing to them.

"Sorry if I was a little rusty, the last person I had sex with was you obviously so it's been a good number of months" Santana says honestly.

"You were amazing as always" Brittany smiles.

"Except the part when I kicked you" Santana points out.

"Except when you kicked me, yeah" Brittany laughs.

"Seriously though, I am so glad we're finally able to be like this again because I think the last few times we had sex was when we were fighting" Santana states.

"I agree" Brittany nods. "Sex has always been good but it was so awkward at times when we were fighting because we didn't know what to do after we had sex" she adds.

"I know but it's all worked out" Santana smiles.

"It has" Brittany agrees while leaning in to kiss Santana.

* * *

It's a few of weeks later and Santana has landed an interview for the job Brittany found for her. After filling out the application, Santana gave it a week or so to be processed but when she didn't hear back from the company, she was sure they hadn't taken her application any further. She got a surprise the other day though when she got an email saying she was invited to an interview today. She immediately accepted it and asked Quinn to swap shifts with her so she could attend and luckily Quinn was more than happy to help. The only downside to the whole thing is that she only got the email a couple of days ago so it hasn't given her much time to prepare. Between both her and Brittany working, it's been tough to prepare but Brittany stayed up late most nights with Santana helping her prepare.

"All set for your interview today?" Brittany asks Santana as they have breakfast together.

"Yeah I think so" Santana replies nervously. "I really appreciate all your help the last few days. I know you've been busy and stuff" she smiles.

"Honestly, it's no trouble" Brittany smiles. "I know how hard it is to be stuck in a job you hate so I wanted to do everything I could to help you."

"I'm really grateful that you're coming with me today as well" Santana says.

"Like I say, I want to do whatever I can to help so if me coming with you today relaxes you then I'll do just that" Brittany assures Santana.

"It does relax me so thank you" Santana smiles.

"It's no trouble" Brittany smiles back. Once they both finish eating, they get ready for the day.

"So, how do I look?" Santana asks as she walks into the living room smartly dressed where Brittany is sitting on the couch waiting for her.

"You look kinda sexy actually" Brittany smirks but the glare Santana gives her makes her realise that's not the answer she's looking for. "You look great babe, very smart and sophisticated" she smiles softly to Santana.

"So, it's appropriate for a job interview then?" Santana queries.

"It is" Brittany nods. "You look really smart and respectable dressed like that. There's no way they could not hire you for the job" she adds.

"I hope they hire me for my knowledge and abilities not the way I look. I want to be taken seriously" Santana points out.

"Baby, are you just going to disagree with everything I say because you're nervous" Brittany asks with a smile. In all honesty, she finds it really cute how nervous Santana seems.

"I'm sorry, I'm just shitting myself right now" Santana apologises.

"Ok, well you better go and change your clothes then" Brittany smirks. She's trying to tease her to calm her nerves.

"Really?" Santana questions. "You can see how nervous I am but you're still going to joke around with me?" she asks.

"I'm trying to relax you and keep your mind off things" Brittany replies. "Look, come here" she says while getting off the couch and pulling Santana towards her.

"I'm sorry I'm being bitchy to you" Santana says honestly. "I just don't want to ruin this chance today because it could really be the first step in making a good career for myself."

"No matter what happens, you're still very talented" Brittany says while putting her arms around Santana to hug her. "You just need to be positive and believe in yourself because they'll notice you're nervous" she adds.

"I know and hopefully with you coming with me then I will feel better" Santana replies.

XXX

"How did it go?" Brittany asks Santana as soon as she leaves the interview room.

"Ok I think" Santana replies. She's not really sure how everything went. It wasn't awkward or anything and she managed to answer all the questions they asked her. She just isn't sure one way or another whether she'll get the job because the interviewers didn't really give her any indication.

"Will they just get in touch with you once they've made a decision?" Brittany asks.

"Yeah, they said the recruitment company would call or email me to let me know" Santana says.

"I guess you just need to wait and see now then" Brittany says and Santana nods. "So, I've got a few catering gigs to get ready for but I can do that tomorrow if you want to have some fun today and hang out" Brittany suggests.

"Sounds good" Santana smiles. Spending the day with Brittany and having fun really would take her mind off the interview so she wants to do that.

* * *

Everything has been going great with Brittany and Santana the last couple of months. They've been hanging out and spending lots of time together so things seem to have settled back into how it used to be. Santana got the job she applied for so the first couple of weeks took some time for them to adjust to a new routine but things are definitely better now. Santana really enjoys her new job and Brittany is doing well with her catering venture so they're both feeling happier in themselves which in turn has made their relationship so much better compared to when they broke up.

It's well into December now so things are becoming a lot more festive. Brittany and Santana decorated their apartment for Christmas a couple of weeks ago and all the shops are being flooded with Christmas gifts. They've both got the day off today so they're just hanging out while they have some breakfast. Santana's parents are holding a Christmas party this year again but it's not until later tonight.

"Hey, do you want to do some Christmas shopping today?" Brittany asks.

"I don't have much else planned this morning so why not" Santana smiles. "Maybe if we get finished on time then I could take you to lunch after" she adds.

"Sounds like a plan" Brittany smiles back.

Once they're both finished eating, they get ready for the day and head out. They're now just walking around the shops, seeing what gifts they could buy for everyone. They've already got a few bits and pieces for people but they're hoping to get most of it finished by today.

"Hey, do you know what you're getting me for Christmas?" Santana asks curiously.

"I do but no I'm not telling you and no I won't even give you a hint either" Brittany smiles.

"Did you know I was going to ask for a clue?" Santana asks.

"I did because you kept asking me last year what I got you and you did the same with your birthday this year" Brittany points out.

"I like to know what I'm getting though because I'm impatient" Santana replies.

"Isn't getting a surprise so much worth it though" Brittany reasons. She has a surprise up her sleeve for Santana so she really hopes Santana doesn't find out before Christmas because it's something really special.

"I suppose you do have a point there" Santana nods.

"So, what about you? Do you know what you're getting me for Christmas yet or do you still have that left to sort out?" Brittany wonders.

"I think I know what I'm getting you but I just haven't got it yet" Santana replies. "Don't worry though, I'll get it sorted in no time at all" she smiles.

"Good, because I'd hate for you to leave it to the last minute and end up having to get me something really crappy because all the good presents are sold out" Brittany states.

"Trust me, I'm going to get you some really good stuff this year" Santana smiles. They had a bit of a rough patch in the middle of the year when they broke up so Santana is making it her mission to make Christmas special for the two of them.

"That's good" Brittany smiles.

"Anyway, we better finish this shopping" Santana says while smiling back.

After spending most of the morning shopping for Christmas presents, Santana treats Brittany to lunch. They then head back home again and have a relaxing afternoon together before they need to get ready for the party. They're now just getting dressed for the party. Brittany is in her room getting changed and Santana is in hers. They mostly sleep in Santana's room every night now that they're back together but they still haven't got around to moving Brittany's clothes and everything in there yet so more often than not they get dressed separately.

"Babe, I'm ready whenever you are" Brittany says as she leaves her bedroom.

"I'm almost there, 5 minutes" Santana replies through her closed bedroom door.

"I'll wait in the living room for you" Brittany replies and then heads to the living room to sit down and wait on Santana. It is indeed 5 minutes until Santana is ready to go.

"Ok, let's get to this party" Santana says as she walks into the living room.

"Ok…wow" Brittany says as she stands up from the couch and takes in Santana's appearance for the first time tonight.

"Uh…honey, my eyes are up here" Santana states with a smirk.

"Right, sorry" Brittany says, pulling herself out of her thoughts.

"Did you like what you saw?" Santana asks.

"I loved it" Brittany nods. "Actually, is there any chance we could skip the party and just stay home right now?" she asks.

"I promised my parents we would go and it would be rude not to after they went to so much effort to host the party and invite everyone" Santana points out.

"What about if we leave a little later then and stay here for 20 minutes or so more?" Brittany says trying to come to a compromise.

"I said I would help my parents set up a little so we need to get there early" Santana states.

"Ok, fine" Brittany sighs. "I just would really like you right now" she adds.

"I know" Santana says feeling bad. "If we get the party sorted then maybe we can sneak upstairs once it's in full swing" she offers.

"It's not the same but I suppose" Brittany smiles.

"I'll definitely make it up to you later when we get back home as well" Santana says while leaning in to kiss Brittany.

"Ok, I can wait until later" Brittany smiles again.

* * *

It's Christmas morning so Brittany and Santana are having a quiet morning together, just the two of them. Brittany's parents are having everyone over for Christmas dinner tonight so Santana's family will meet them both there later on. This is their first proper Christmas together and first one living together so Brittany and Santana wanted it to be special so they wanted to just have a quiet morning together before seeing family later. Last year Brittany still lived with her parents and Santana stayed over at her parents' house so this year is a bit different for them so they're having a nice time just the two of them.

They've just finished opening most of their presents so they're just lounging on the couch together.

"I feel like we've been together for ages but technically we haven't even been together a year" Brittany points out.

"We did break up for 4 months didn't we" Santana nods.

"Yes, but also we weren't together on Christmas morning last year. It was later in the day that we figured everything out and started dating" Brittany replies.

"That's true" Santana smiles. "Hey thank you for everything today. I love all of my presents" she says while putting her arms around Brittany to hug her.

"You're welcome honey" Brittany smiles. "And thank you for my gifts" she says before kissing Santana's cheek.

"This has been a really good Christmas morning so far" Santana smiles while leaning back against Brittany and resting her head on Brittany's shoulder.

"It might actually get even better because I have one last gift for you" Brittany says while shifting from Santana slightly and leaning over the couch to grab something. She hides it behind her back and then moves to the floor and gets down on one knee.

"What are you doing?" Santana asks confused.

"We've known each other for more than a year but we've only been romantically linked for just a year so it might seem sudden but I've never felt this way about anyone before. We've had a really tough time during our time together but I think that only proved to us just how meant to be we are. We're supposed to be with one another and I hope you think that too" Brittany says nervously. What she is about to ask is something she has never asked anyone before so it scares her a little bit.

"I do" Santana nods. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone" she smiles. She's still a little confused about what's going on but she does honestly mean what she's saying.

"I love you with all my heart too so, Santana Lopez, will you marry me?" Brittany asks while opening the ring box she has in her hand.

"Oh my god…YES!" Santana screams in delight as she kneels to the floor to hug Brittany.

"Oh, thank goodness" Brittany says in relief. She was really worried Santana might have said no.

"Did you think I might say no?" Santana asks, pulling away slightly to look at Brittany.

"I wasn't sure if you would find it too soon after everything that's happened recently" Brittany points out.

"I want to marry you. You're the love of my life" Santana smiles.

"I agree" Brittany smiles. "Now would you like some nice new jewellery for that pretty hand of yours" she asks while lifting the ring out of the box.

"Yes!" Santana squeals in excitement again. Brittany then carefully places the ring on Santana's left hand. "It's beautiful" she says while admiring the ring.

"It suits you really well" Brittany adds.

"Come here" Santana says while pulling Brittany closer to her. She then leans in and kisses her.

"We don't actually have to leave for another while yet so what do you say we celebrate a little?" Brittany says with a smirk.

"I say let's do it" Santana says while getting up from the floor and pulling Brittany up. She then grabs Brittany's hand and pulls her to her bedroom.

XXX

Brittany and Santana are at Brittany's parents' house helping to make the Christmas dinner. As soon as they got there, they told everyone the good news and everyone seemed really happy for them. Brittany is currently helping her mom and Santana's mom but Santana's gran called her through to the other room to talk so Santana went to speak to her grandmother.

"What's going on grandma?" Santana asks confused. She doesn't really know why her gran needed to speak to her and not anyone else.

"I want to talk to you about that rock on your hand" Alma replies.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Santana smiles while admiring her ring. "Britt did well with picking it out" she adds.

"I suppose she did" Alma nods.

"Ok so what about my engagement did you want to talk about?" Santana asks confused.

"If you do it quick then I can finally get my wish to see you get married Santana" Alma points out. "I did ask you to find the perfect one by Christmas meaning last Christmas but I suppose this Christmas will do" she adds.

"We were together last Christmas grandma" Santana states.

"I know but I wanted to see you get married and you know I won't last much longer so now I might finally get to do that" Alma states.

"Grandma…" Santana sighs while rolling her eyes. "You have to stop with this" she states. Alma has been saying that for years now so Santana doesn't want her to be so negative about things.

"It's true though Santana, I might not have much time left so I want to see you get married" Alma replies.

"Ok, I'll speak to Brittany and see what she thinks" Santana smiles and then Alma leaves.

Santana does want her grandma to be at the wedding and she does want to marry Brittany as soon as she can but she also knows that weddings take time to organise. This is going to be her only wedding so she wants to do things properly and have a big wedding like she always dreamed of having. She also knows that her grandma is making things worst than it seems so she does believe she has time to plan a wedding otherwise she would do it as soon as possible if she thought her grandma was in seriously bad health.

"Congrats by the way" Joanne, Santana's sister in law, says as she makes her way over to Santana.

"Thank you" Santana smiles while showing Joanne the ring. She gets all giddy inside whenever she looks at the ring.

"You must be so happy right now" Joanne says.

"I am" Santana nods. "I'm also a little unsure of what happens now though" she adds.

"What do you mean?" Joanne asks confused.

"Ok so I've only ever dated one girl before, obviously that being Brittany, so how does this work now. I mean do I buy her an engagement ring too because she is a girl so it's usual for girls to get engagement rings" Santana says.

"Women can propose to men too so it's not only a girl thing to get a ring" Joanne points out.

"I want to get her one because I have had thoughts about marrying her before but I don't want her to think I've only done it now because she gave me one. I mean if I get her one then has the novelty sort of worn off so to speak?" Santana asks.

"I think Brittany will be happy either way" Joanne points out.

"I know but I want her to feel as special as she made me feel this morning" Santana replies.

"Brittany doesn't need an engagement ring to feel like that but I'm sure she would be happy if you did get her one so do whatever you want to do" Joanne smiles.

"Ok" Santana nods.

"Hey Santana, come back over here" Alma says while appearing in the room again.

"I'll leave you too it" Joanne says while leaving. Santana then walks over to her grandmother.

"Give this to Brittany" Alma states while removing her necklace and taking the ring off the chain.

"Grandma, no. That is your engagement ring from grandpa so I'm not going to take it" Santana replies.

"I want you to have this Santana and since you've already got a ring then give this to Brittany" Alma replies.

"Even if you really want someone to have it then why aren't you giving it to my brother for his wife?" Santana queries.

"He has the other one Santana" alma replies.

"Other one?" Santana asks surprised. "You had two engagement rings and I can't even afford one."

"Your grandpa proposed to me with the ring I gave your brother but you know your grandfather, he was really clumsy so he accidentally misplaced it one day. I had taken it off to wash the dishes and the next thing I know it had disappeared. I don't know if he knocked it off the side and it fell in the trash or what happened but we couldn't find it for a substantial amount of time so he bought me another one, this one, because he felt bad. Cut a long story short, we found the first ring a few years later so I ended up with two" Alma says.

"Oh" Santana nods in understanding.

"The bottom line is that they both meant a lot to me so I wanted you and your brother to have a ring each" Alma says. "Initially I thought Joanne would wear one and you would wear the other but since you have one then I want Brittany to have this one."

"I can't take your ring, it means a lot to you" Santana states.

"Yes, and you mean a lot to me too so I don't want the ring stored away in a box when I die, I want you or Brittany to have it and then you two can pass it down to your grandkids" Alma states.

"I don't know grandma" Santana says, still unsure about taking it. Yes, she wants Brittany to have a ring but she doesn't want to take away something so special from her grandma.

"Please Santana, I really want you to have this" Alma assures her granddaughter.

"I…"

"Take the ring please Santana otherwise you'll make me think you don't want Brittany to have it. Brittany is the best thing that's happened to you remember" Alma states.

"Ok, I'll take it" Santana says laughing while taking the ring. "Do you know sometimes, I think you prefer Brittany to me or something because you never stop talking about her" she teases.

"Maybe I do" Alma teases back. "Anyway, go and give this to my granddaughter in law please" she adds.

"Right now?" Santana asks surprised. She was going to wait until they got home and did it privately.

"Yes, right now" Alma nods.

"Ok fine but I'm not doing it in front of everyone. I'll take her outside or something and do it privately" Santana replies.

"Ok, as long as you do it before dinner because I want to see her with the ring" Alma smiles.

"I'll do it just now" Santana says before leaving to go to the kitchen. "Babe, can I talk to you for a second?" she asks Brittany.

"Sure" Brittany nods.

"In private so maybe outside on the porch" Santana suggests. Brittany nods again so they then leave the kitchen and head outside to the front of the house.

"What's going on babe?" Brittany asks confused.

"Ok, so do you remember last year on Christmas day I came here to talk to you because I realised, I too wanted to be with you" Santana starts and Brittany nods. "Well I figured this is the spot we got together so this is the perfect place to do this" she says while getting down on one knee.

"Uh…what are you doing" Brittany asks confused.

"It's my turn so Britt, will you marry me?" Santana asks with a smile as she holds out the ring in front of her.

"Duh! Of course, I'll marry you" Brittany smiles.

"Good" Santana says while carefully placing the ring on Brittany's finger.

"Where did you get this ring?" Brittany asks as Santana stands up and she hugs her.

"I did think of proposing to you at some point so I would have got you a ring but I'll be honest, this isn't one I bought. This is my grandma's ring from my grandpa and she wanted me to have it but since I have one already then, she insisted on you having this" Santana smiles.

"It's really nice" Brittany smiles. "Are we sure we should be taking your grandma's ring though?" she asks.

"I had that discussion and she really wants us to have it" Santana states.

"Ok, cool" Brittany smiles before leaning in to kiss Santana. "I guess we should go inside now and show everyone my new ring" she says.

"Yeah we…oh for crying out loud" Santana states annoyed as she turns around.

"What's wrong?" Brittany asks concerned.

"This was supposed to be a private moment between the two of us where I could propose to you where we first got together and now look" Santana states while pointing at the window. Brittany looks over and sees their whole family looking at them through the window.

"It's cute" Brittany smiles. "Anyway, let's go inside because it's cold" she says while kissing Santana once more and then heading inside with her.


End file.
